Another Shade of Evil
by Yizuki
Summary: Voldemort stumbles across a powerful magic. Eager to control it he did a ritual in hopes to control all seven items through it. Instead it traps the soul of Yugi. Now the puzzle has been found by the most unlikely boy. A boy with black hair and green eyes
1. Prolouge

It was dark, darker than the blackest night. There was not even a shadow, for there was no light to cast one. In this darkness a voice could be heard chanting, saying words long forgotten to mankind in a complex spell that had been sealed away for thousands of years.

In the darkness a pair of red eyes gleamed, the only illumination in this desolate void. They seemed to be looking down, as if reading something, a book perhaps. As he continued the spell a dark light began to develop. Slowly the darkness was illuminated, casting the now desired shadows that had not been present before. The room was painted black with gold and red trim. The room was obviously well cared for and was spotless…..save for the blood that dripped to the floor. A body was sprawled at the man's feet, gazing outward with unseeing eyes. The man's voice became strained as he continued reading. But that was all right. The ritual was almost done. Soon he would have the power to control the world. Finally the chant stopped and he looked up from what he was reading. The dark light grew stronger and stronger until it was almost blinding in its unnatural light. Through that light he thought he heard a scream, but then the light faded and there was nothing there. Voldemort narrowed his eyes and screamed in rage. It hadn't worked! He went through all the painstakingly gruesome and specific steps to get NOTHING!!! He took deep breaths. No matter. There were other ways to get power. Yes, there were other ways to get power. Still, someone was going to pay for this, and he knew exactly who.

Yugi Muto sighed and curled up on the blankets. At first glance one might mistake him for a sixteen year old, however he was actually twenty two, and very depressed. It had been six years since his Yami had left for the afterlife. He now had a job, a car, a life, even his own apartment. But what he didn't have was company.

Sure. He had his friends. They weren't so shallow that they would just dump him to the side of the road after Ya….Atemu left. Still he felt lonely. But still…..no matter how hard they tried their presence just wasn't as soothing, their touches as tender, or their voices and calming as his others had been. He curled into a ball of misery and cried. Usually he wasn't this upset. Most of the time he could set aside the pain and enjoy the time spent with his friends…..

But then again…..it wasn't everyday that you saw the body of your other half displayed as a mere object in a museum.

Yugi fought back tears as he remembered what had happened. Today had been the day that Atemu had left for the afterlife and the others decided to have a day out to celebrate. They weren't glad he was gone, quite the opposite. But they didn't think Atemu would like them breaking down after so much time. Instead they toured around the city, going to every place he had dueled, eaten, or just been. Their final stop had been the Domino museum. It hadn't been intentional to go there. But there was a new Egyptian exhibit open there. They decided to take a look and see what had been uncovered, a memento to the time he had ruled as pharaoh. It was okay at first, just pottery and everyday trinkets. Then they had come across burial jewelry.

He had only known what it was through his Yami, and even then his knowledge was limited. But what stopped his heart was the plaque that was under it.

_This jewelry was found on the body of what many claim to be the nameless pharaoh. The intricacy of the designs and use of glass show how valuable this was. What many boggles many is the depiction of the strange monster at the top. Many believe it to be the immortal form of Ra himself. Others say that it looks like the monster the Winged Dragon of Ra from the popular game of duel monsters. While this fact is unlikely archeologists are searching for more evidence as proof._

Tears had come to his eyes and refused to go away. Turning around Yugi had rushed deeper into the museum, heading for where he knew the mummies would be displayed. He stopped in front of a glass case. The tears that had threatened to spill from his eyes came now. With a cry he launched himself at the glass and sobbed. Inside was his others body, no longer rich and noble as it had been, just wrinkled and decayed beyond all recognition. Yet somehow he knew it was him. He looked up to the now wrinkled and wizened face, defaced from the harsh mistress known as time. He sobbed anew and hugged the glass, as if he pressed his body hard enough he would go through and be able to hold him.

"No. Not like this. Please. Not like this. I can't bear…..not like this." His friends caught up with him. Their faces immediately hardened when they saw the display. A gentle hand came down on his shoulder. The fingers caressed his shaking muscles, causing him to become slightly more stable. He looked up. It was Ishizu, her eyes swimming with tears. He gulped for air as he tried to speak, tried to form words past the lump in his throat. Finally he came up with only one word. "Why?" She looked away.

"It was not of my doing. Nor any of my intention to have him brought here….like this…..but they found him while I was away. The board suspected me of hiding something and therefore authorized the place I deemed unfruitful to be searched. The men who guarded the tomb were overpowered and…..here he is." Yugi looked away.

"Can't you do something. He doesn't deserve this. He deserves to be resting…..at peace." His fists clenched. "HE'S NOT JUST A TREASURE SET OUT FOR AMUSEMENT!!!!" Several turned at his outburst and stared at him as if he were insane.

"Yugi…." She set a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't want him here. Neither do I….but there's nothing I can do. I tried to convince the board to at least let him stay in storage…..they wouldn't have it. I would have lost my job."

"So your job is more important than him?" He asked bitterly.

"Yugi!" Tea scolded him. She looked at Ishizu apologetically. "Please forgive him. He's just upset. Ishizu nodded her head.

"I understand his rage…..and his pain. I need to keep my job so that nothing else can be found. Would you like his most treasured possessions scattered about here as well? No Yugi. As much as it pains me to see him here, there are other things to protect too." Yugi broke down, crying into her dress, clutching at her like a life line.

"It's not fair." He whimpered. "It's not fair!" Ishizu ran a smooth hand through his silky hair.

"I know Yugi. I know it's not." She gently pried his hands off of the material that made up her dress. He immediately latched onto Tea, the one who came closest to Yami out of all his friends. Yami….his Yami…..it was so hard to think of him as anything else, the other half that competed him, no matter how different they were. He had always been so kind, so fair, so gentle. Yugi remembered when he had confessed his feelings for him. Yugi had been scared at first, but slowly the shock had faded away and he discovered he had the same feelings. It had increased their bond to a whole new level. And Yugi was glad of that. It helped ease his aching heart, to know that Yami had cared and still cared that much for him. Sometimes he wished that he would die in his sleep and join him. He would often imagine it as he lay on his bed. He would feel a tugging in his chest first, right over his heart. He would look around for the source but there would be nothing there. He would lay back down and sigh. The tugging would become stronger until it felt like he was being pulled out of his body. And then he would be free. He would open his eyes and there he would be, standing above him with a tender smile across his face. He would smile as well and they would go deep into the desert, worrying about nothing else for eternity.

He felt a tugging in his chest. Yugi looked up with hope. Could it be? After all these years would he finally be going to him? There was nothing there in the room. Yugi sighed. But inside he was bubbling with energy. Was he here? Was he finally going to be reunited with him again? The tugging in his chest grew stronger. He flung himself into the feeling, while getting into a proper position to be found in, in the morning. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final tug that would release him.

Instead his entire body erupted into pain.

Yugi screamed. Now he was scared. It wasn't supposed to hurt! Was it? He tried to relax, only to scream as the pain seemed to split his chest apart. Blood welled from marks on his hand where his nails dug in. And just as soon as it came, the pain stopped.

Yugi panted on the ground as he tried to recover from the shock. What had that been? What had happened? Had something happened to Yami? Oh Ra! Something happened to Yami! He got up from the ground and began frantically looking for some sort of sign. Oh gods! Please let his yami be all right! A gold glint caught his eye and he stopped dead in his tracks. Very slowly he turned around and looked at what was on the ground in disbelief.

It was the millennium puzzle.

It wasn't its usual shining gold. Now it was dull and almost brassy in appearance. Yugi tried to push those thoughts away and nearly fell to his knees. How could this be? How did it end up here? What was it even doing here? He reached out with a shaking hand to touch it. Something told him not to. Something told him to stop. But he couldn't. Timidly he hand brushed s smooth side of the artifact. There was a flash of white and he was gone. The only change; was that the puzzle had regained its golden sheen.


	2. In the puzzle

I'm feeling energetic today. So I've decided to update all of my stories. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: In the Puzzle

It wasn't until early morning that anyone came to the flat that was known as Yugi Muto's apartment. Tea climbed the stairs up to the top floor. Yugi always enjoyed being on the roof, and so had rented the highest flat he could find. She sighed. She didn't mind Yugi's tastes, but it was a bit laborious for them. She came to the green door and knocked. There was no answer. She knocked again.

"Yugi?" She called. Still no answer, not even the rustling of cloth to signify him getting out of bed. Tea started to get worried. What was going on? Reaching into her purse she pulled out a ring of keys, picked one out, and unlocked the door. Yugi and the others had all had spares to their respective apartments incase someone had theirs stolen, they got lost, or they needed to get inside right then. Now was one of those times.

The door opened with a screech and Tea inwardly winced. Yugi had been trying to fix that squeak ever since he came here, as of right now it had only gotten worse. Joey and Tristan didn't help either, but not from lack of trying. The owner of the apartment just banned them from having any construction tools. It still brought a smile to her lips when she thought of it, but enough of that. She had to make sure Yugi was okay.

Inside the house was empty. Everything was still in its proper place except for a few blankets, but other than that it was like Yugi was still here. Tea frowned. There had to be more to this. She went deeper into the home. The den TV was still on, showing the four o' clock news. The dining room was clean except for a single plate that had what looked to be the remains of a hamburger on it. The kitchen was spotless, showing that Yugi had ordered his snack.

"Yugi?!" She was getting nervous now. Where was he? She decided to look in his bedroom, just incase he was still asleep. She came to the door and knocked. "Yugi? Come on this isn't funny." There was no answer. Panicking, she burst in. He wasn't there. "Yugi? Yugi! Yugi where are you?!" She saw something on the ground and gasped. She rushed out and went to the phone. She frantically dialed a number and put the receiver to her ear. "Hello?! Joey?! Come over here, quickly! Yugi's gone, and the millennium puzzle's back."

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"What are we going to do?! Where could he could have gone?!" Tea had called everyone in her panic, everyone from Mai to Ishizu. They were all in the living room in various positions, trying to coax the story out of Tea without strangling her. It wasn't working. The millennium puzzle was laid out on the coffee table for everyone to see.

"Calm down Tea! I'm sure we'll find him."Joey frantically tried to snap her out of her hysterical fit. In reality he was just as worried as Tea. It was taking a lot not to start running around in blind fear with her.

"But where could he have gone?! What could have happened?! What if……"

"Enough!" He grabbed her shoulders and shook her a bit. "This is getting us nowhere! We need to calm down! I don't know where Yug is and I don't know why! But panicking isn't going to help! We need to find him!"

"You will not find him here on earth anymore." Everyone jerked and turned around to look.

Shadi was standing on the middle of the room as calmly as ever, an unreadable expression on his face. Joey's face immediately contorted into a look of rage. With a cry he launched himself over the couch and tried to punch the man, but to his surprise his attack just fazed through him. HE looked at Shadi again with slight fear, but determination in his eyes.

"What happened? What did you do to him bastard?" Shadi didn't seem intimidated by his words or his glare, something that irked Joey to no end.

"Last night a man tried to resurrect the puzzle, reactivate it's power in hopes of bringing all the others under his control. And it worked, partially. Because the items had already fulfilled their duty they needed a new task to complete have their strength return. I am not sure what this task is, but it seems to have chosen his ideas and applied them to itself. But this was also not enough. The puzzle must have a soul within itself as long as it remains in power. But the man's soul was too unstable to enter the puzzle. So it chose its old master.

"Yugi." Tea whispered. Shadi nodded.

"Yes. It originally wanted the pharaoh, but his spirit was beyond reach, so it chose the thing closest to it. It chose the pharaoh's reincarnation." He picked up the puzzle. "Yugi is now in here, never to come out except to join his beloved in the afterlife."

"Wait! Ya mean Yug's stuck in there forever?!" Shadi nodded.

"I'm afraid so. If there was anything I could do I would do it. But there isn't. I merely know about the items. I do not control them all." He picked up his millennium key. "I will go inside the puzzle and explain what has happened, as well as cast a spell that will prevent him from losing his memories. But there is nothing more I can or will do." He touched the tip of the key to the eye of the puzzle and entered.

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It was different from last time. Instead of there being a corridor he was merely transported into Yugi's soul room. He noticed that several of the toys had vanished to be replaced with more fond things. There were pictures of his friends, old games that they had played, and many other things. Shadi noticed with a bit of fondness that the boy still had the sandbox from last time. All in all Yugi had grown up. He looked around for some form of the boy, as sometimes the soul will change shape in order to feel more comfortable in the room. He spotted the boy sleeping on the floor. His limbs sprawled out from the obvious pain he had gone through to come inside. He bent down and gently touched his forehead.

"Wake up little pharaoh." His finger glowed with a golden light and Yugi opened his eyes. He looked around for a moment, confused.

"Huh? Shadi? What…..what am I doing here? How did I end up in my soul room? Where's the pharaoh?! Is he back?! Shadi answer me!" AS he continued to talk his sentences became more frantic and he started spinning around the room, as if there was some sort of explanation hidden within the mountains of toys. Shadi put a hand on his shoulder and bowed his head.

"I am sorry to have to tell you this Yugi. But no, the pharaoh is not back. You have taken his place within the millennium puzzle." Yugi blinked for a few moments. Finally he managed to speak.

"What?"

"Your soul has come to reside in the millennium puzzle." Yugi stared at him for a while. Then he laughed.

"I get it! This is just some bad dream! When I open my eyes I'll be back in my room and wishing Atem was here." He closed his eyes for a while and reopened them. He was surprised when he was still staring at Shadi. HE placed a hand on Yugi's shoulder.

"I'm sorry little pharaoh. This is not a dream." Yugi's eyes slowly widened as he realized what was going on.

"But…..Why? How? How did it happen?! I thought the job of the millennium items were done!"

"They were. But an evil man reinvoked the power of your puzzle. Since the pharaoh sacrificed himself to save his people the puzzle has come to need a soul inside it to keep its power. The man who summoned it did not have a stable enough soul. So it drew you inside. The pharaoh's reincarnation, and the closest thing to its original occupant." Yugi stood still with shock as he absorbed all this information. He collapsed onto the ground.

"My friends…." He asked.

"They are awaiting for me to come out and tell them of you." He bent down to Yugi's level. "Yugi. Now that you are in the puzzle you must wait until the one destined to solve you comes. I can put you to sleep until you come into contact, but there is a chance that you will lose your memories." Yugi looked up at him.

"Won't I lose them anyway?" Shadi shook his head.

"No. Because the puzzle was not shattered immediately after your soul was sealed, you will retain them." Yugi sighed slightly in relief.

"But if I send you to sleep, there is a chance that some memories will escape you." Yugi contemplated the possibilities. "You must choose quickly Yugi. I sense your friends getting impatient." After another second he looked him in the eyes with fierce determination.

"Do what you wish Shadi." He said, placing complete trust in him. Shadi nodded and left. Yugi sighed. HE sure hoped he had done the right thing.

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"Is he back yet?" Tea asked. Tristan looked at Shadi who was kneeling with the puzzle in his hands, an expression of intense concentration on his face.

"Nope." A loud crash was heard. They all looked to see Joey had punched the wall.

"I can't stand this! Yug's in the worst jam of his life and we can't even speak ta him!" He fought back the urge to cry. Tea came and wrapped her arms around the blonde haired youth.

"Calm down Joey. It's not as bad as it looks." He stared at her in disbelief.

"Not as bad as it look? Not as bad as it looks! Our best friend s trapped in a puzzle Tea! And there's no way to get him out! The guy's probably terrified right now! And there's nothing we can do!" ea was about to retort when they heard the shuffle of robes. Shadi had come back out of the puzzle with a determined glint in his eyes. He took the key and chanted an ancient spell over the puzzle. IT glowed with a light blue light that soon faded. Then Shadi took the puzzle in one hand and raised it above his head.

Joey realized what he was going to do first. HE leapt toward Shadi, desperate to keep him from breaking the puzzle. However he forgot about Shadi's ability to turn into a ghost and he passed right through him. With a clatter the puzzle broke into its many pieces. They all just stared at the spot where the once whole puzzle had been. Joey knelt by the pieces and cradled them in his hands.

"Yug….." He whispered. He looked up at Shadi with hatred in his eyes. "Why? Why did you have to do that? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THAT TO HIM?!?!" He broke down crying. Shadi looked at the puzzle with remorse and gathered up the pieces.

"It was necessary. If the puzzle is already completed then how can the chosen one solve it?" Joey didn't seem to get over his rage.

"You could've let us do it, or at least waited." Shadi shook his head.

"If I had done it later I would not have had the willpower. And before you ask. DO you think you would have either?" Joey opened and closed his mouth several times before shutting it and glaring at him. Shadi brought out the box that contained the puzzle pieces and put them in. He handed it over to the friends. "Because of your loyalty to him I shall let you guard his soul until the time is right. Keep him safe, somewhere no one would think to look. When the chosen one appears I shall come to give it to him." The others nodded. Shadi turned around and vanished, leaving no trace of his presence except the golden box clutched in the hands of friends.

End Chapter


	3. What happened after

Okay. I just finished this. I hope you like!

Few months later

Dumbledore stared at the items in a glass case, studying the way they glinted in the light, trying to decipher some of the strong magical readings he got from the items. He looked at a clock and sighed, turning back to his inspection.

He was waiting for a woman named Ishizu. He wanted to see if she would like the position of Divination at Hogwarts. He had considered her from the beginning when he heard about her extremely accurate guesses of security and the strong magical aura she reeked of. It was so strong you could almost feel it. He decided to go and see the mummies that were on display. She was supposed to be very beautiful too. He looked at the clock. 10:33. She had another half an hour to get here. He looked around again. She was the curator of the museum here in Domino. He stopped in front of a large glass case. The body inside was regal, noble, and very young. Even though time had made it look like a haggard old man. The very presence of this man, even in death, reeked of confidence and power, though it was not abused. It was worn like a cape, to help rule and see those under his power to a brighter future. The feel of this man in life would have overwhelmed some and brought others to their knees. He could tell that he was a true king, one of the few worthy of that kind of title. To see his body here, displayed as nothing more than a mere object nearly brought him to tears.

"It is sad to see one so mighty so humbled is it not?" He turned in surprise to the woman beside him. She was looking at the body like one might look to as a superior. Someone whom you strived to be as good as, yet were content to merely be allowed to bask in their glory. A few stray tears came out of her eyes. "Once one of the mightiest kings ever to rule, now nothing but a lowly husk set up for the amusement of others." A few more tears made their tracks down her face. She hastily brushed her eyes and held out her hand. "Forgive me. It is hard to see such mighty people reduced to this. I am Ishizu Ishtar. Who might you be?" He raised an eyebrow. This was Ishizu Ishtar? He must admit she was very impressive. She did not wear modern clothes, nor did she wear wizard robes. Instead she wore a creamy white Egyptian robe that looked like it was made for priests or priestesses. Gold jewelry accented her dark skin and raven black hair. Her crystal blue eyes seemed to pierce straight through you, as if she could see who you were, are, and ever would be. Her gaze softened for a moment before going back t its piercing stare. He smiled.

"Albus Dumbledore at your service. I believe we had an appointment scheduled for this evening?" She smiled and shook his hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you professor. Shall we?"

"Of course." They left for her office to discuss how she was to go about getting the position and what she would have to do. Neither noticed the man in black robes following them. Despite her practical appearance Ishizu knew many forms of obscure divination that most would deem unworthy of predicting the present. When he asked why she merely said that if one was to predict the future you need to know all of the aspects. She conducted everything from reading his palm to analyzing this morning's clouds. She seemed quite accomplished and he was more than willing to give her the job. They decided that she would come in late spring to take a tour of the castle and decide how to set things to her liking. Dumbledore left feeling very satisfied with his choice. He was about to apparate when he heard a woman scream. He thought it might be Mrs. Ishtar and turned to help her. However he apparated at that moment and ended up in the desert.(1) He looked around in all directions. There was no one for miles. He tried to apparate back to the young woman but found that something blocked his path. He soon gave up and tried apparating within the city. That didn't work either. Something was keeping him from going back to Domino, even Japan. He was about to apparate to England and get help when a man appeared in front of him. He looked a lot like Ishizu in the way he dressed. His robes obviously made to battle the harsh Egyptian weather. He drew his wand incase this man was hostile. He didn't look like a death eater, but he was obviously a wizard.

"Who are you?" He asked. The man just continued to stare at him. Dumbledore tightened his grip on his wand. He wasn't afraid, but this man could prove to be dangerous. The man blinked and looked at him. After a moments contemplation he reached beneath his robes and pulled out a key. He turned his eyes to Dumbledore who gasped.

His eyes were pupiless. There was nothing but iris in his blank gaze. He slowly approached Dumbledore who held his ground. When the man was only a few feet away he stopped. His eyes were like blue vortexes that sucked you in and made it impossible to move. He touched the tip of the key to his forehead. The next thing he knew he was in a strange room. It looked a lot like his office at Hogwarts, except there was a four poster bed that looked like it belonged in the Griffindor tower. The room was set with a clumsy, but surgical precision. Blue prints and plans were scattered about a desk in the back. In a corner there was a mirror, only it was warped like what you find in Muggle fun houses.

"Where am I?" He asked no one in particular. The room seemed oddly comforting, and familiar, though that mirror unnerved him.

"We are in your soul room." Dumbledore turned to see the man who had stood in front of him in the desert now staring at him again. But this time there seemed to be life in his eyes. "I apologize for this rude intrusion into your mind. But I sensed that a friend of mine was in danger and you were the first to leave her." He looked about. "May I?" Dumbledore nodded. The man began sorting through everything. As he touched objects he would recognize what they were. There was his first broom. There was a plushy silver phoenix. His first patronus. Other such similar items were scattered about.

"Excuse me, but where are we?" The man looked up from his search.

"Your soul room. I guess you could call it a reflection of yourself in a way. Every memory you have ever had is stored in here. The room itself and how it's decorated shows what kind of outlook and personality the person has." He touched something and looked down. He began shuffling through piles of paper and artifacts, touching each one, as if he were reading the memory stored within. As he went in deeper he saw a frown play on his lips. Finally he stood up and looked at him with fierce determination. As soon as they had gotten to that strange place the man had called a soul room they were back in the desert. The man disappeared for a moment and came back holding a box.

"Here. In this box are the pieces of an unsolvable puzzle. I sense that you are the one destined to hold it until its true master comes forth. Until then keep it safe, and let no one see it." Dumbledore nodded and took the box.

"Where am I? I must get back to Ms. Ishtar so that we can finish our agreement." The man looked down.

"The lady Isis is no longer living. Strange men killed with a magic I am not familiar with. Your magic." He cast a sharp gaze onto him. "Beware. I know you meant no harm to any of the millennium item holders, and therefore I will spare you. However, you must prove that you are worthy of this trust." Dumbledore merely nodded to show he understood, all the while wondering what the millennium item holders were. Shadi bowed and left. Dumbledore blinked. He had just apparated right? Because he had felt no surge of magic when he did it.

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Sixteen years later

"Boy! Get down here!" Harry sighed and put down the paper he was working on to go downstairs, not caring if he was still wearing yesterday's clothing or not. Ever since he had gotten back from Hogwarts the Dursley's had been cautious around him, but that didn't stop them from bossing him around. Today he had to do all of the laundry, and weed the flower bed, along with watering the plants. The vegetation was still feeling the after effects of the drought last year. With a sigh he cleaned up the dishes and was soon hanging laundry on the line outside. _I wonder what Dumbledore meant by giving me that box. _Up in his room Harry had a golden box that Dumbledore had given him for the summer. When he had handed it to Harry he had said some very strange things.

Flashback

Harry was waiting for the train to roll into the Hogsmeade station when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He had looked up to see none other than professor Dumbledore. He had said nothing; just given him a golden box and whispering something in his ear.

"I think that you were meant to have this Harry."

End Flashback

But what could he mean? The box didn't look all that special. But he hadn't tried to open it either. Maybe he should look at what was inside first. Yes. He resolved to do this as soon as he was done with his chores. Somehow he knew that whatever it was it was important.

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Dark. It was dark here. Why was it dark? Was there no light?

Quiet. So very quiet, almost deafening in its lack of sound. Nothing. He felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing. So that meant he was nothing as well…..right? If only he could think properly, but the darkness seemed to press down on all thoughts and obliterate them, sending him back to his first ones. There they went.

Dark. It was dark here. Why was it dark? Was there no light?

His thoughts tried to come together, tried to piece themselves so that he could understand, yet every time he did they merely slipped from his grasp, as if they were puzzle pieces that refused to fit together.

Puzzle…..He remembered that. He used to like them. He solved a puzzle once didn't he? Did that mean….Oops. There they went.

Dark. It was dark here. Why was it dark? Was there no light?

He found the piece of thought he had been holding before and grasped it tightly. What did it mean? That he was a puzzle? That he liked the challenge? Challenge….. Tears came to his eyes, though they had no reason for them to surface. Why did competition stir such emotions? Did he lose someone close in that way? Oh. There went the piece again

Dark. It was dark here. Why was it dark? Was there no light?

With a sigh he decided to go to sleep. Sleep….that sounded like a nice idea. All this thinking had worn him out. He decided to just stop thinking and sleep for all eternity. Oops. His thoughts were gone again.

Dark. It was dark here. Why was it dark? Was there no light?

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He hated summer.

This is what Harry Potter thought as he lugged the trash bag that could have contained Dudley towards the curb. Just a few more steps and it'll be done. Just a few more….

The trash bag ripped.

Harry cursed and began picking up the trash that had fallen out. He stopped when he came across a playing card. What were these doing in the garbage? He turned it over and a smile came to his lips. Of course. Dudley.

It had been earlier this morning when the house had imploded. Or more specifically….exploded.

Dudley's screams and cries could have been heard all the way in Japan. He was bawling his head off for who knows what reason. Still, Harry decided to see what was happening. Dudley was screaming and crying with some sort of metal like….thing in his hand.

"You promised to get me the best in London! And it doesn't even work!" Harry watched from the stairs as Dudley yelled at Aunt Petunia.

"We're sorry Dinky Dumpkins. But the owner of the company himself said there was nothing wrong with it. I don't know why it wouldn't work." Aunt Petunia shivered at this. Harry raised his eyebrows. The only time Aunt Petunia shuddered was when something potentially embarrassing was in the house. Who could make her do that? He wanted to congratulate them.

"The owner was wrong! It doesn't work! Watch!" He put the metal contraption on his arm and pressed a button on the underside. The thing made a beeping noise and latched onto the soft arm of his skin, causing it to bulge in the most hideous way. Two wing-like plates came out and snapped together, creating a flat board big enough to place cards on. Something attempted to take off from the sides of the contraption. Attempted is the key word. The fat of Dudley's arm stopped them from going three feet. The things still hummed and lit up with multi colored lights, but it was obvious this was not how they were supposed to work. "And it won't read my cards! Watch!" He placed a brown card with a black circle in the middle on the board. A distorted picture of a ferocious dragon wavered and fizzed like a bad TV reading.

"Oh I'm so sorry my little Bopkin! We'll go out today and buy you a new one! Don't worry! That horrible man was wrong and will give us a full refund."

"Don't bother. I'm done with this stupid card game anyway! I never win!" He threw the contraption as well as the cards into the garbage before stomping off.

Harry now picked up the thing and examined it. He placed it on his arm to see how it would fit. It was much too big. Still, hadn't Dudley pressed a button to make it shrink? Feeling around he tapped the button. The thing beeped and latched onto his arm. He jumped in surprise. The two things from before shot off the sides with tiny rockets. Harry watched as they landed softly a few yards away and came to life, humming their soft electric melody. Cautiously Harry picked up a card from the ground and placed it on the metal mat. The machine beeped again and a ferocious dragon roared. Harry stood in awe. This couldn't be muggle made. It was just too real.

"Mom! Dad! Harry stole my Duel Disk!" Harry stiffened.

'Shit.'

"BOY!!!!!" Harry sighed. He was in for it now.

End Chapter

I think when you're apparating you have to concentrate on your location. When Dumbledore got distracted by Ishizu's scream he thought of Egypt and was transported there instead of England.


	4. A puzzle?

Harry groaned as he flopped onto his bed, wincing as his sides gave a flare of pain. IT had taken all of two seconds for Dudley to rush out and collide his killer pounds with his body in an attempt to get the disk off. The result being a very disoriented Harry, a temper tantrum Dudley, several kicks to the ribs, and a duel disk that came within three inches of its mechanical life of being crushed. Harry was surprised the thing hadn't broken from the abuse Dudley put it through. Luckily he had been able to keep the cards. Dudley hadn't even noticed, just rushed into the house to grab his jacket to buy new ones. Harry pulled the cards out. They were very odd. But the artistry was beautiful. It was as if each stroke had a secret meaning behind it, giving the picture a kind of life that no magic could ever recreate. He looked at the name. It said 'Pitch black Dragon'. The furred dragon was rather interesting to say the least. But the effect was even more intriguing, even if he couldn't make heads or tails of it. He shrugged and set them down. For some reason he felt like opening that box now. He went to his loose floorboard and pulled it out, gently setting it on the desktop. Gingerly he lifted the lid off and felt his jaw drop. It was filled with gold. Gold pieces that glimmered in the light with a kind of living radiance. The pieces flickered and shied their light, as if wondering who had exposed them. Harry picked up two pieces and held them under his desk lamp. Strange. They looked like they would……the sound of metal connecting with metal echoed through his room.

Harry leaned back. So. This wasn't gold after all. It was a puzzle. A solid gold, 3 dimensional puzzle.

Why would Dumbledore give him a puzzle? Did it have some secret meaning? Unwittingly he began picking up pieces and began trying to fit them together. He felt slightly calmer as he worked. His pain seemed less as his hands worked with the pieces. It was as if his mind drifted to concentrating on the puzzle as he worked, yet he was still free to think of other things as he worked. Did it have some sort of spell over it? Harry stopped clicking pieces together when he thought of this. Dumbledore wouldn't give him a cursed object would he? No. That was Hagrid. But still…..how could it be destined for him without some magical influence?...

Well. There was one way to find out.

Harry pulled his wand out from his back pocket and tapped the pieces. Nothing happened. Harry sighed in relief. Then the tip of his wand brushed what could only be the main piece, considering it was the only one with a design on it. The eye lit up immediately and the room was filled with an inky blackness that swirled like storm clouds. Through this darkness he heard a voice.

_…..Mou hitori no boku?__…….Mou hitori no boku?__ ...Who is there?_

As soon as it came the darkness was gone. Harry stared at the item. What was that? Who had the owner of that voice been? It had sounded lost, confused, as if it didn't even know if it was on the right planet.

Of course, Harry didn't believe in aliens. But the voice had sounded so hopeless. He wanted to help whoever was trapped in there. With a shake of his head he put the puzzle away. If this item had magic it was best not to deal with it. But for some reason he didn't put it under the floorboard again. Instead he laid it on the desk and fell asleep. Unbeknownst to Harry the puzzle flashed and the spirit inside was confused. Who had that been? It had felt like magic……but that didn't exist right? …….No…….not right…….why? Who was that? All the time he thought one word, or name he guessed, kept coming up.

_M__o__u__ hitori no boku………__Mou__ hitori no boku…….__Mou__ hitori no boku………__Mou__ hitori no boku………._

Who was Muo hitori no boku? Was it the thing that had touched him? Why had he felt so…..alive? Who was Mou hitori no boku? Muo….hit-or-i…..no……bo…..ku….. He felt tired, exhausted. Sleep……..sleep…….

The pieces glittered more and more slowly as the spirit within fell asleep. It had been so long since the spirit had slept. The puzzle deepened a few shades as the spirit fell deeper into the pool of unconsciousness. It would take a lot to awaken him. If at all.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Despite his earlier reluctance to deal with the object Harry was back to working on the puzzle that night. It just felt so…..soothing. The pieces slid through his hands like water as he fit them together. He couldn't help but feel proud that it was coming together so quickly. The strange thing was that when a piece went in it seemed to melt, become whole, and no matter how hard you pulled the piece stayed put. It both confused and excited Harry. He tried to keep the idea of the object being magical in the back of his mind as he worked. And it was helped by the fact that the puzzle gave no sign of maliciousness. It merely shimmered and winked at him. Sometimes he thought he could hear that same voice calling out. And other times it felt as though someone were watching him, waiting for him. IT sent shivers up his spine and he would usually stop working on the puzzle for the rest of the day. But he always picked it up the next morning.

Click.

Today he was rather depressed. Today was the day he ran away from the Dursley's three years ago and first met Sirius. It opened the still bleeding wound in his heart, bringing back tears, pain, and guilt over his death. He cursed Bellatrix Lestrange over and over again as he tried to get the pieces to fit. With a start he realized there was only one more piece to go. The puzzle was an inverted pyramid with a handle on top for a chain or piece of string to go through. It was beautiful. Only the eye in the middle was missing. Harry blinked. How had this happened? Had his emotions somehow motivated him to complete it? Never mind that right now…..he just had to slip that last piece in. He reached into the box and……

It wasn't there.

Harry turned his head so fast he was surprised he didn't get whiplash. He frantically felt the box for the piece. It wasn't there! Where was it?! He got up from his desk and began looking. It had to be here somewhere! He had to complete it! He just had too! He looked through his trunk, the loose floorboard, his window, his bed. Wait…..his bed! That's right! He had to hide the puzzle fro Dudley once and put it in his pillow case! The piece must have slipped out! He dove for his pillow and practically turned it inside out. After a great deal of shaking and praying there was a clink. Harry looked down to see the final piece on the floor. He picked it up and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from shouting for joy. He hurriedly went back to the puzzle, and with shaking fingers, slotted the piece in.

Nothing happened.

Harry's shoulders slumped. While he didn't know what he expected he had hoped for something…..well he honestly didn't know. Sighing he found a piece of string and threaded it through the loop at the top. Harry looked at it critically. He didn't really feel like wearing it. But he did complete it…..how could he do this? It was rather large. But maybe……

Harry put on one of his bigger, more baggy shirts and slid the puzzle under it. He shivered at the contact. It wasn't cold like he expected. It felt……warm……alive….. He looked to the mirror in his room. Not even a crinkle revealed that he was wearing about five pounds of gold under his shirt. Harry sighed. He felt tired. After quickly pulling on his pajamas Harry flopped down on the bed, careful to avoid the sharp corners of the puzzle. That would hurt. He stared at the ceiling. Who had that voice belonged to? Why didn't it reappear when he solved the puzzle? He had heard it while it was being completed…..why? …….Why? …….why…….. He fell asleep. After a moment a golden light filled the room. It was near blinding and almost impossible to see through. Yet at the same time it was gentle. When it faded Harry got up from his bed. But this time he seemed different. His stance was timid and he looked at the room as though he had never seen it before. But the most noticeable difference was his eyes. They were no longer jade green, but a cool clear amethyst. He went to the desk and stared at the parchment. He fingered the puzzle under his clothes and looked around.

"Where…..am I? How'd I…..get here?" He kept fingering the puzzle, worrying it under his thumb. As he looked around he could see different things he recognized. There was a mirror, clothes, and…..was that? He approached Harry's desk slowly, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He gently touched the deck. The cards pulsed under his fingers, recognizing the energy of a true game master. In a flash all of his memories came rushing back and he couldn't stop a whimper of sorrow and pain from passing his lips.

"Yami…….Atem…….The puzzle……me……." Yugi looked down at himself, realizing now that this wasn't his body. He shivered. He best get this body back in bed before he woke up and started wondering. But before he did that……

Yugi picked up a quill and piece of parchment, scanning his new partners memories to see how to do this. He quickly jotted down a letter in short, slightly windswept kanji. After doing this he went to the window. Soon a white owl landed on the window sill. Yugi smiled and held out his hand. The snowy owl looked him with mistrust before nipping his finger. Yugi laughed and stroked the feathers.

"You…..send….to…..Jiichan?" The owl looked at him curiously. "Please." The owl stuck out its leg. Yugi found a small piece of string and tied the letter on. With a flurry of wings the owl set off into the night. Yugi watched it a bit before heading back over to the bed. He was tired. And now he REALLY needed to relinquish his control. With a sigh he maneuvered the body onto the bed and closed his eyes. There was a brief glow. Harry opened his eyes and looked around. What had happened? He looked around for rustled paper, a shifted object, something that would signify that he had moved other than what he had been aware of. Not even a dent in the carpet. Slightly relieved he laid back down. After looking around he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The puzzle glowed again. But this time Yugi appeared in spirit form outside of the puzzle. It wasn't that hard. He had done it plenty of times with Atem. He inspected his…..well what was he? Atem was his partner, his love. So what did that make this boy? His host? …….That sounded too much like Bakura……So what was he? …….Well……since he didn't know the boy's name……host would have to do…….Though it did make him feel…..rather tyrannical to tell the truth. He sighed and fazed back into the puzzle. What would he do? He laid on the soft bed in his soul room and closed his eyes. It had been here, in his soul room, that he had slept for all these years. And he hadn't really hadn't slept. More like drift in a state of semi consciousness with a never ending cycle of thoughts. But still…..

Yugi hugged a dark magician plushy to his chest. The walls pulsed a depressing blue, reflecting his mood. Yugi sighed and looked at the door across from him. It was a mix of pure white and inky black, splattered around as if the colors had been slapped on with no real sense of pattern, yet as he looked the white seemed to shine a hearts red while the black glow a poisonous, pulsing green. Confused, but not wanting to invade the other's privacy, Yugi turns away and walks back into his room. He watches the door for one more moment before closing his soul room door and slipping deep into the dust of the sandman.

End Chapter


	5. Meet the parents

Chapter 5: Meet the parents

Yugi took control early that morning. The main thing that he found was that his host's body was hungry. Host……he shuddered. He still didn't like calling him that. And while he still didn't know the boys name, calling him host gave a certain…..distance between them. A distance he didn't want to exist. Yugi tiptoed down the stairs, judging where the stairs would creak by the placement and the dips in the wood from being trodden on so much. He set his weight on a step and felt the groan of the stair. Yugi lightly jumped back and looked around worriedly. For once he was glad that bullies had picked on him. It glance him swift reflexes. And even if he was strong, he was fast. Damn he was fast. It let him outrun bullies whenever he could and pulled him out of other scrapes later in life as well. Pushing aside those thoughts he concentrated on finding out if anybody had heard him. Nobody had. Letting out a breath he continued going down.

This house was too clean.

Sure Jiichan had liked to keep the shop and the home in good condition, but this was a worn clean, a clean that had been maintained for so long that it was wearing the house out. And it was…….unnatural. Nothing should be this white. It made him feel like he was stuck in a research facility, or a hospital. He crept to the fridge and looked for something to eat. His nose wrinkled. There was no sushi! And while there were some very healthy foods, there was nothing that he enjoyed eating. And he had a feeling that there was nothing here that his host liked either. Sighing Yugi grabbed some carrot sticks and turned around to go back upstairs to his host's room. He froze at the sight that greeted him. Two people were standing in the entrance to the kitchen. They were both glaring at him. These must be his host's parents. Strange, they didn't look anything like him. The man was pudgy. His bushy mustache was bristling and he should have been intimidating.

He wasn't.

Yugi had seen people who were much scarier and intimidating. Marik was an excellent example. Marik was scary. This man was just a big pig, a swine that was in his way. And if he didn't get out of it soon, he would find himself being…..encouraged.

Whoa. When did he start thinking like Atem? But it was true. While he was pure and untainted he was no longer innocent. He had seen too much to be that. Innocence was fleeting and fragile, like a delicate blossom that flowers in the spring, but withers when the slightest hint of hot or cold touches it. And while this man was older than him it was not by much. He was thirty eight after all. Even if he wasn't a superior he was an equal.

But his host wasn't. It put a lid on his temper, and caused him to go to more reserved methods of getting them out of his way. He had never been one for violence anyway.

The woman was bony. She reminded him of a horse. Her teeth large, her lips pursed, her long neck. She was looking at him, or what she thought was his host, with much disdain. IT was as if he was worth less than the dirt that would dare to touch her walls.

"What are you doing boy?!" The man yelled. Yugi stiffened. Boy?! He was old enough to have his own kids thank you very much! He had actually planned to do just that. He had wanted two. Now however, it was too late.

Pushing aside these depressing thoughts he turned back to the situation at hand. He had no idea how these people treated his host, but it obviously wasn't good. He would have to respond carefully, see what they said. Play the cards right and he might be able to sneak up with even more food.

"Getting something to eat. I was a little hungry. I thought you wouldn't mind." The two looked at him as if he had grown an extra head. Okay. That was too polite. Or maybe he just didn't ask.

"Well wait for breakfast! And since you're up, go take out the trash!" Yugi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from retorting. So they were that type of family. Torture the child, make him do everything. Yugi wanted nothing more than to send them to the shadow realm, if he could.

"Well sorry! I don't know how you can treat your own child like this."

"You are not our child!" This made Yugi perk up. They weren't his host's parents? That was….interesting. He wondered where they were…..most likely dead, though it pained him to think about it. Storing this information in the back of his mind he handed the carrot sticks to the woman and took the trash out. He then went back upstairs and laid the boy's body down. He pulled out several slices of bread and an apple from within his clothes. Thank the gods for late night snacks when Jiichan was still awake. It had been very easy to nick the food while distracting them with idle chatter. He bit into the apple and wolfed down the bread. His host's body was too underfed. He needed to eat more, though he wondered whether his relatives would allow it. Yugi closed his eyes and relinquished control back to his host, who was still asleep. Hopefully, he wouldn't figure out that he had been up and about.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Hedwig was gone.

When Harry had woken up late last night he had assumed that she had just not gotten back yet from her nightly hunt. But it was now morning, and she still hadn't returned, and he was getting worried. On top of that the Dursley's were watching him warily, as if he would suddenly sprout a third head. He absently stroked the puzzle under his shirt, to calm his nerves. He jerked his thumb back when he came to a corner, but it didn't cut him. Hell, it didn't even feel sharp! Harry fingered the corners in fascination The corners were sharp, but they felt as gentle as the curves of a windswept hill. Harry wondered what would happen if he landed on it.

After having breakfast, which for some reason he didn't need, he went back upstairs. He flopped onto the bed, this time stomach down. He was surprised when he didn't even feel the metal underneath him. This confirmed his suspicions about the item being magical, but what did it hold? A piece of Voldemort's soul? At that thought he took the puzzle off and pointed his wand at it The eye just stared at back. The made him relax a bit, but he still kept an eye on it…..well there was irony.

Harry decided that as long as he wasn't wearing it then there would be no trouble.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Yugi sighed as his host took off the puzzle and set it on the desk. He was obviously wary of magic, or at least…the magic he had. Yugi sat down in his soul room. It had matured a bit from the time spent in the puzzle. the room was larger and more complex, showing his open mind and more complex thought process. An intracetly carved chest at the foot of his bed represented the secrets he kept. His door was still open, so he could see the door to his host's room. He got up and went to the door. It was still white-red and black-green, but the pattern had shifted……come to think of it, the white shone through the black too……it was almost as if the black was another soul, or part of one.

Careful not to touch the black, Yugi knocked. The door slowly opened. The inside was very comfortable, like a dorm room. Parchment, quills, and books laid everywhere. Half finished projects rested on the crimson comforter. The walls were a hearts red. A desk by the bed was scattered with letters. There was a picture of his host with a red haired boy and a bushy brown haired girl. An enormous man who would have made Odion look like a dwarf, had a hand on his host's shoulder(Which he could tell was painful no matter how happy he looked). A man with elbow length hair laughed beside his host with an odd man with a crooked nose and twinkling blue eyes hidden behind half moon spectacles. A lot of red heads who looked like they might be the other boy's family stood around as well. A man with graying hair, despite his apparent youth, stood next to the man with long black hair. Other people stood close, all of them smiling. Yugi smiled as well. The care of the photograph……friends, though many of them were adults. There was another, slightly larger and more worn picture next to it. This picture showed a man who looked exactly like his host, and a woman with red hair and jade green eyes, the boy's parents. Next to it was an old dog collar with a name carved roughly into the leather, Sirius. A delicate statue of a stag sat off to one corner. The piece shone like spun silver and glowed like iridescent mother of pearl. It seemed to hold its own light, illuminating the room with soft moonbeams.

But not all the room was this comfortable.

The left corner deepened from hearts red to dark, poison green. An iron chest was covered with thick black chains and tightly padlocked, though the lock looked as though someone had broken it repeatedly to savage whatever was hidden within. Yugi shivered. There was someone, some….._thing_ in that corner. He wasn't sure what it was, but he felt a want, no a _need_ to contain it, banish it from this mind. But how could he do it? He didn't have a connection to the shadows. But……he and Atem were soul-mates, two halves of the same whole. If Atem could connect to the shadows, so could he…….right?

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Yugi closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Atem said that in order to use the shadows you had to find and connect to them first. Yugi searched for them tell tale darkness, the whisper of night in is ear. It didn't take long. The shadows came forward curiously, attracted to his bright soul. Yugi got a firm grip on a tendril and plunged himself in.

The darkness was overwhelming.

Colors blurred, darkness melted, the world spun. He struggled to find light in this darkness, like a drowning man struggles for air. The shadows swarmed around him, restraining him, trying to get him still. His efforts soon made him exhausted and he stopped struggling. When he did everything cleared. The shadows were no longer a blur of darkness. There were layers, levels, an unbound structure. Yugi stayed still, absorbing the darkness. HE felt a shift, a click, a connection and he opened his eyes.

He was ready.

Yugi was delirious. The raw power was enough to replenish his spent energy and so much more. It was as if he just reached further, abandoned his light, gave it to the shadows, he could have the power of the universe. He just had to let go…..

Yugi sighed and pulled his attention back to the soul room. He couldn't let go of his light, it was a part of him, and he didn't want power. When he was satisfied that he had a stable connection to the shadows he sent the attack. The shadows weaved themselves around the corner, caging the darkness. Putting invisible chains on the influence it had over the room.

Predictably, the darkness did not like being caged.

Something lashed out against the barrier, ripping through part of it. Yugi held his head as the pain was conveyed to him. He renewed the barrier and tried to bind whatever was battering the shield. Another attack caused the barrier to waver. He poured more shadows into the barrier to strengthen it as the thing pounded on its shadow cage. Just when he thought he had it trapped, the black-green began spreading onto the walls. Yugi sent shadows to fight it. The black fought back, detaching from the walls to fight him. It succeeded in grabbing his wrist. The tendril was so freezingly cold it sent fire through his veins. White hot knives pierced his skin, drawing warm, moist blood. The pain caused his concentration to slip. The black broke through his barrier and began to swarm him, putting him in a cage. Yugi tried to use the shadows to beat them back, but they were merely absorbed into the darkness. Darkness……that was it! This was darkness. Of course the shadows weren't working! They were merely absorbed back into their element. So he needed to stop fighting with darkness, and start fighting with light. Because there was a difference between the shadows and this darkness. Even though the shadows were darkness, it was the darkness before time. It had a want, a need, a craving for life and light. That was one reason why it had been attracted to him, and why he and Atem fit together so well. But this darkness……this was the darkness after time. It had no desire for light, except to extinguish it. Yet it feared a light strong enough to banish it, the same way it swallowed life like candy. Yugi let the shadows go, even though they needed light, this light would be strong and could hurt them. The barriers that kept the darkness back dissolved and they began to encircle him, crush him, drive the knives deep into his skin. Yugi took a deep breath fused with his core. Light, blinding white light radiated out from his form. The darkness recoiled from the purity, drawing back into its corner. Yugi caged it without so much as a second thought and kept shining. This was……unreal. He didn't feel his body, the pain that he had been in earlier. He didn't feel anything. It was as if his own light was numbing his mind. He could barely remember his name, let alone anything else. A tendril of shadows gently wrapped around him, seeming to caress the light away from his body. His memories came back and the last of the light faded away. Yugi nearly collapsed right after the last left. The battle had taken a heavy toll on his mind. He dragged himself out of the soul room and into his own. He collapsed onto his bed. With a sigh he relaxed and let his mind slip into oblivion.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...

Harry sighed as the pain faded. He looked at the puzzle. What had that been?

Flashback

Harry was sitting at his desk, writing a letter to Ron and Hermione for when Hedwig came back, when his scar felt odd. It wasn't prickling, or searing his forehead. It was as if it was being…..numbed. Harry stopped writing to figure it out. All of a sudden it _did_ start hurting, a lot. The pain came in sharp waves, as if it was fighting something. The numbing sensation ran erratically over his scar. Then the pain was in more than his scar. It took a lot not to scream. Then…..it stopped. A new sensation went through his mind, like light. It was soothing to him. It faded a few moments later, leaving the after effects of the pain.

End Flashback

Harry picked up the puzzle and looked at skeptically. He didn't know whether that pain was from not wearing the puzzle or not, but he wanted answers. He placed the puzzle on his neck. There was a disorienting jolt and he found himself in a strange room. It looked like the Griffindor boy's dormitory for one. Spell books were scattered on the floor. His essays and projects were organized on the bed. A silver statue of his patronus cast a comforting light through the room. Pictures of his friends and family were on a desk next to a dog collar. Choking up, Harry looked around. Who made this? Wherever he was this place was…..perfect.

Then he noticed the left corner of the room.

The walls, which were a bright red, deepened to a dark green. Bars of light striped across the darkness, caging it in its corner. Harry ran a hand over his scar. This must have been what he felt. What had happened? What was in that corner? Somehow, he knew he _didn't_ want to know. He turned away to something else to distract him.

There was a door.

Harry went forward with curiosity. Where did the door come from? He pushed on the wood experimentally. It swung forward without a sound. Outside was a hallway that stretched on forever. It was like it came from nowhere and led to nowhere. He felt a slight temptation to walk down and see what was there. But what was in front of him was even more intruiging. It was another door. this one was dark blue with a bright golden eye in the center. The door swung inward, allowing easy access. After a moment's hesitation Harry went in.

Light. That's the first thing his mind registered. The walls were a clean, clear blue that shone with a bright, white light. A plush violet carpet soothed his feet, even through his shoes. A warm wooden desk was off to the side, littered with pictures of friends and family. Toys mingled with college essays and piles upon piles of games. A sandbox sat in a corner, complete with a rake, shovel, bucket, and an intracte sandcastle. A canopy bed was pushed up against the left wall. Harry drifted toward the desk, curious as to what was on it. As he got closer he noticed that the pictures were ringed around the outside of the desk. When he got to the desk he noticed why. There was a large sheet of paper with a man sketched on it. He had hair gelled into five points. He wore leather with countless buckles. What drew his attention though, were the eyes, the only thing colored in the picture. They were crimson blood, like Voldemort's. He leaned casually against an invisible wall, smiling predatorily. That's what he looked like, a predator. Each toned muscle seemed to quiver and flick with power and mystery. He was graceful like a panther, and dangerous like a dragon. A black dragon with eyes the color of the blood they spilled. Harry went over to the bed. What he saw made him stop and stare in shock. It looked like the man in the drawing, only less…..intimidating. His muscles weren't as visible, he missed the spikes of blonde through his hair. His hair….it was really weird, but beautiful. The main part was black obsidian, outlined in rubies with bangs of spun gold. Milky white skin shone like soft pearl. Glossy black leather decorated with silver buckles clung to his skin. He looked a lot like a Goth. He timidly reached out and stroked the bangs. To his surprise they weren't hardened with gel, but soft like cotton and smooth like silk. HE wondered what his eyes would look like. Would they be passionate red like the man in the picture, or another color? Warm brown? Impish green? Cool, calm blue? He didn't feel safe opening his eyes to see. At the foot of the bed there was an intracetely carved chest. Something dark swirled around the lock. He reached out for it. A hand came out and stopped him. Harry looked up and fell into soft pools of gentle amethyst.

End Chapter


	6. Meet the spirit

Chapter 6: Meet the spirit

Those eyes……he had seen a lot of strange things, but never had he seen someone with purple eyes. No. Purple was too plain to describe this color. And violet, like the carpet beneath his feet, was too dark. They were only, completely, and utterly _amethyst, _ the color of a twilight evening and cool, calm water, gently hardened into priceless gems that shone with a soft light of….not innocence, there was too much of the knowledge of pain to be innocent………but purity. But even though they could be gentle, right now they were sharp with warning.

"Even though you are my host and I appreciate your efforts to learn more about me I would prefer it if you left that alone. I do not know enough about you to trust you with the secrets in there." Harry dropped his hand bonelessly as he kept staring into those eyes.

Tonks would enjoy trying to copy that color. It was a stupid thought. But it was true. He knew that she would have a lot of fun finding a new color to make her eyes. Harry stood up, noticing that the boy was several inches shorter than him, maybe even a foot shorter. Yet somehow he managed to look older and more intimidating. Harry gathered his wits enough to ask a question.

"Who are you?" The boy didn't seem surprised by the question. In fact it looked like he had been expecting this reaction. He merely shrugged and sat down on the bed. Harry sat next to him.

"My name is Yugi Muto, the spirit of the millennium puzzle, which you have solved. You've probably been hearing me for a while now. I'm sorry if I've been confusing you. I didn't know how to make you aware of my presence without arousing suspicion. Who are you?" Harry blinked. Spirit? This was a ghost?

Wait….. 'been hearing him for a while'? This was the voice he had heard! This was what he thought had possessed him that night! And, he realized with horror, he probably took over this morning and ran into the Aunt and Uncle. No wonder they were looking at him so strangely! He leaped up from the bed and pointed his wand at him. The spirit who called himself Yugi sighed.

"You don't have to be afraid of me. I won't hurt you. I'm sorry about taking over without your permission, but I needed to figure out where I was." Harry wasn't fooled. If 'Yugi' could take over his body, then that could make him a piece of soul like Voldemort. The boy…….man………teenager………..just what was he?

"What are you?" He asked. The spirit rolled its eyes.

"I already told you. I'm the spirit of the millennium puzzle. You solved it and now you have control over the shadow realm and me." Well…….that wasn't _exactly_ true. But it was close. And he didn't think that the boy would calm down unless he thought he had some control over the situation. Predictably Harry lowered his wand, bolder now that he knew he could stop him if he wanted.

"What's the shadow realm?" He asked. Yugi smiled.

"First, why don't you tell me your name? I can't keep on calling you 'host' now can I? I don't like it and I have a feeling that you don't either." Harry blinked. It was a very considerate spirit. Maybe it wasn't as evil as he first thought.

"My name is Harry. Harry Potter." He waited………

"Hello Harry. How old are you?"

……………………………He didn't ask?

"…….Do you know who I am?" He asked cautiously. The spirit……Yugi...looked at him uncertainly before answering.

"No I haven't. Should I?" Harry blinked. He hadn't met anyone who was magical that hadn't known his name(1). He started laughing in relief. It was good to have someone not know who he was for once. "Are you okay?" Yugi asked. This boy was starting to scare him. Harry kept on laughing for a few moments before he calmed down.

"I'm great! It's just been so long since I've met someone who's magical that doesn't know my name." At this a look of understanding flitted across his features.

"Famous huh?" Harry nodded. "Sucks doesn't it?" Harry laughed, then stopped. He had said that as if he had been famous once. "Were you famous too?" Yugi chuckles, a sound that seems to brighten the room for a moment.

"Quite. I used to have girls chase me for hours when I tried to get home. Everyone in the whole damn _world_ wanted to duel me and get my title. It was a pain in the ass." Harry was startled. He hadn't really expected someone like him to start swearing.

"How old are you?" Yugi smiled.

"Well that depends. I was twenty two when I was put in the millennium puzzle, but if you count the years I spent as a spirit I'm thirty eight." Harry's jaw dropped. Thirty eight? He was so……….

//Short.// Yugi frowned.

"I heard that you know." Harry blinked, but before he could respond he heard a distant shout.

"BOYY!!!!! GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!!!!" Harry sighed. He'd have to figure out Yugi later. Yugi glanced up at the ceiling.

"Charming relatives you've got." He commented dryly. That wrung a chuckle out of him.

"I'll come talk to you later." Yugi nodded.

"Just go back to your soul room and concentrate on the real world." Harry furrowed his brows. His what room? "The room you came out of to see me." Harry nodded and left. As soon as the door shut Yugi got up and went to his desk. He caressed the picture of Yami and smiled faintly. "I made a new friend." He said softly, stroking the edges of the picture. "His name is Harry. I'm not sure what you would say about him…..There seems to be more to him than meets the eye." The tip of his fingernail traced the blood red eyes. "His soul room has some sort of darkness in it. I'm not sure what it is, but it feels strange." He sighed. "I miss you so much……..every day seems like an eternity without you……..especially here. Now I know why you were so lonely." Yugi leaned down and kissed the picture. "Goodnight Yami." He went back over to his bed and fell asleep. The picture just kept smirking at the rest of the world.

* * *

Harry reluctantly went down the stairs, wondering what on earth they were calling him for. His jaw dropped when he saw who was in the living room.

"Hello Harry. Do you have your things ready?" Harry stared for a moment before stuttering.

"I-I………I'll go get them now." He raced back up the stairs and began packing frantically. //What is Dumbledore doing here?//

/Dumple-who?/ Harry stiffened. He looked around to see if he was in what Yugi called his 'soul room'. He wasn't. There was a yawn in the back of his mind and got the impression of stretching. /Harry what are you talking about? Your emotions woke me up. Who's this Dumplydore?/ Harry was shocked.

//What the bloody hell is going on here?// He thought. A sense of understanding flooded through him.

/Oh that's right! You don't know about the mind link do you?/ Harry could just stare at the wall in front of him.

//Mind link? Yugi what is going on?// Embaressment and unspoken apologies filled him. An impression of a sheepish grin flashed in front of his eyes.

/Sorry Harry. I should've told you. There's more than one way for us to talk to each other. Three ways really. One: You come into my soul room and we talk. Two: I come out of the puzzle and we talk. Or Three: We use the mind link to communicate to each other telepathically. The mind link is easiest, though it can cause one to space out, and shouldn't you be packing?/ Harry blinked and looked down, realizing that he hadn't put a single thing into his trunk. With a yelp Harry began racing around the room and throwing things in. /See what I mean?/ Harry growled at him. An odd mix of emotions came to him and he got the distinct impression that Yugi was laughing. Harry just growled and bounded down the stairs to Dumbledore. He nearly ran into the old man at the bottom of the stairs.

"There you are Harry. I was just about to come and get you." Dumbledore said.

/Who's the old man in a dress?/ Harry didn't know whether to laugh, or be offended. The end result was a strangled snort from wanting to laugh and reprimand Yugi for insulting the greatest wizard of all time. Dumbledore glanced at him for a moment, then led him back into the living room. The Dursley's were glaring at him from across the room, afraid that Dumbledore would do something to them. /Not so bold now are they?/ He sensed a sort of perverted pride at their obvious fear. It was quickly squashed down though. Dumbledore turned to Harry.

"We will be apparating to number twelve Grimuald Place. But first, we have to go see an old friend." Harry was confused. What was Dumbledore talking about? Dumbledore held out his hand. Harry took it. There was a feeling of being pulled through a very small straw by his arm before he landed on the grass of a green hill. Harry gasped as his lungs tried to re-expand from the apparation.

/What in the seven hells was that?!/ Harry winced. Obviously this kind of travel didn't sit well with Yugi.

//Apparation. A way to travel instantly from one point to another.// Harry explained.

/It flattened my room! Everything's just a big mess now! It going to take me forever to get these thoughts disassembled!/ He heard internal grumbling as Yugi began organizing his soul room. Harry winced apologetically before following his professor towards the house.

The house in question was in disrepair and seemed to want to fall down at any moment. Harry felt a bit of trepidation at approaching the house. Something told him he wouldn't like what was inside.

"Harry. Did you by any chance, read those phamplets the ministry sent out about Voldemort's spies?" Harry grinned sheepishly and shook his head. Professor Dumbledore smiled. "I thought not. If you had you would have asked me what my favorite flavor of jam is, which is raspberry." Harry stared at him. Yugi however, chuckled.

/I like him./ Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled. They went inside the house and were met by an unsightly mess. The walls were splattered with blood, The furniture had been overturned, as if someone was desperately looking for something. The couch had a large rip. Papers were scattered all over the floor in a jumbled mess. It looked like someone had died. /Charming place. The walls aren't bad, but the man could use a little work./ Harry shook his head.

//Wait. What did you mean by man?// Yugi snickered.

/Watch./ Dumbledore walked over to the couch and observed it for a moment before poking his finger in the rip. The couch squirmed and giggled before turning into an pudgy man with a large pot belly.

"Hello Slughorn." Dumbledore greeted cheerfully.

//How did you know?// Indifference came through the still new and very strange mind link. He got the impression of shrugging.

/My ability to control the shadow realm gives me what you could call a 'sixth sense'. I feel when magic is being used or when something is enchanted. I could tell the couch had some sort of transforming spell on it and only a man would be big enough for the shift./ Harry drank this in for a moment.

//What exactly is this 'Shadow Realm'?// A long sigh came.

/I think you should save that question for later./ He said. /Don't worry, I will answer, and it will be the truth. But keep it for now./ '_I'm not entirely ready to tell you._' Harry frowned, his doubt resurfacing, but he pushes it down. If Yugi had wanted to harm him he would have done it by now. Still. He wondered what else he could do.

* * *

"Harry!" Someone shouted and he was immediately thrown back by a large mass that had bushy brown hair. He heard Yugi laughing in the back of his head.

/It's seems that someone was missed. Are you two going out?/ Harry stiffened and blushed.

"Yugi!" He shouted. The spirit just laughed. Hermione pulled away from him and looked at him with concern.

"Are you all right Harry?" He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. I just got a little distracted." He sent a mental glare at the spirit. It amazed him at how easily e had learned to use the mind link, though he was certain that he didn't know everything yet.

"Are you sure?" She asked. Harry thought. Should he tell them? How would they react? Hermione would probably freak and Ron……..he would freak even worse.

/Tell them Harry./ He jerked.

//Yugi?// He queried.

/Tell them. Believe me, it's harder keeping the secret then it is just getting it off your chest. Trust me I know./ Harry blinked. Yugi sounded serious, and……sad. What was wrong?

"Come on. I'll tell you." He led them up the stairs and into the room he and Ron slept in last summer. Harry choked up a bit, but forced himself to focus on the task at hand. Once they were in Harry locked the door. "Guys……..do you remember that puzzle that Dumbledore gave me?" Hermione looked confused.

"The golden box? It was a puzzle? Oh Harry! Can I see it?!" He sighed and pulled the millennium puzzle from out under his clothes. Hermione hesitantly touched it. "It's warm." She whispered. She ran her finger over the edges and frowned. Harry knew that she was confused about the seemingly round corners that appeared to be able to skewer your hand.

"Yeah……I finished it a few weeks after I got home to the Dursley's." HE paused and took a deep breath. "Hermione………what would you say if I told you that there was a spirit named Yugi Muto trapped within it? And that he could take control over my body at will?" He waited for their reaction. He expected gasps of horror and begs to take the puzzle off. What he did not expect was Hermione shrieking.

"The king of games is in there?!"

End Chapter

I'm evil! Another cliffie! p Read and review please. Flames welcome. It'll help warm up my freezing room.


	7. Dicussion and Chess

Chapter 7: The Truth

"The King of Games is in there?!" Hermione squealed. There was a loud groan from the mind link.

/Oh for the love of Ra! I'm gone for sixteen years and I STILL have a fan club?! Get over yourselves people!/ Harry couldn't help but chuckle. /It's not funny./ Yugi grumbled. Harry just chuckled more.

"Yes it is. It's funny that you would get this worked up over it. So you've been in there for sixteen years?" Yugi chuckled. "What is it?"

/You do realize that you said that out loud don't you?/ Harry looked over to his friends. Hermione was looking at him with a slightly offended look. Ron was staring at him as f he had grown a second head. Harry groaned.

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked. They both nodded. Harry groaned again. //Couldn't you have warned me ahead of time?//

"How? I couldn't have told you anything until after you had said it. And then it would have already happened." Harry whirled around. Yugi was standing behind him as if he had been there the entire time. He smirked. "Just because I'm using the mind link, doesn't mean I'm in my soul room." Harry shook his head.

"Harry. Are you telling me that the king of games was magical?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

//King of games// He asked. Yugi snorted.

"Later. Right now we need to talk to your friends." Harry frowned.

"No. Now. You've been pushing all my questions to the side. I want to know who you are. I don't like being kept in the dark." Hermione gazed at him and looked around the room.

"He's really here isn't he? Oh Harry what does he look like?! I've never seen him personally!"

"Well…..he's very……short." Yugi glared at him.

"Must you mention my height first? Ra! Even Kaiba was more considerate." Hermione stared at him.

"Short?" She asked.

"Am I the only one concerned about this guy being able to take over Harry at will?!" Both Harry and Hermione turned to stare at Ron. He was as white as a sheet and was gripping the bedposts. Hermione looked at him wide eyed.

"Can he really do that?" A trace amount of fear crept into her voice. Harry felt a tugging at his mind. He pulled against it, wanting to know what he wanted to do first.

"Tell her yes, but only with your permission. I don't take over forcefully unless I have to." Harry nodded.

"He said yes, but only with my permission. Yugi doesn't like taking over unless he has to." He looked at Yugi. "Can't you……I don't know….make yourself visible to everyone else? I mean, you are a ghost aren't you?" Yugi snorted.

"I most certainly am not. I am a spirit. Not a ghost. Spirits can only be seen by the one who has been chosen or someone else with a spirit inside them." Harry shrugged. It was worth a try.

"So are you going to bother explaining the shadow realm?" Yugi smiled ruefully.

"Sit down. You're in for a long story." Harry told the others to sit. Yugi took a deep breath and began. He spoke slowly, with the same hesitation he had felt when relating the events of the triwizard tournament. He told them about how he was always picked on in school, about how little friends he had, and how he believed desperately in the puzzle. He began crying when he first mentioned Yami, or as he was properly known, Atem. Harry was glad that Yugi had not ended up going psychotic while trapped in the puzzle, but that might have been because he had not been in the puzzle for as long. Hermione had freaked when she realized that Yugi had housed a five thousand year old spirit, and it had been very hard to get her back to the present subject. Even now she kept asking random questions about Ancient Egyptian life. Yugi found the distractions both annoying, and a perfect detour when he got too emotional. He explained the duties of the millennium item holders and what they had done. Harry was also glad that they did not have to deal with the spirit of the ring. He sounded a bit too much like a sadist, Harry felt a little sorry for Pegasus. The man had only wanted the comfort of his family. He sympathized with Marik. He knew exactly how he felt with fate, destiny and all of that other rubbish. Dartz was a sad story, but he didn't really feel for him. When they got to the memory world Yugi broke down. It had taken a few minutes of calming and coaxing before he was able to talk about it. Finally he explained finding his others body in a museum and being trapped in the puzzle. Harry laid against the head board. Yugi had given them a lot of information. Now that Harry knew about Yugi….it was time for him to share. He sat up to start his own story when Yugi waved him down.

"You're tired. Get some sleep. There's plenty of time tomorrow." Harry nodded and went to put on his pajamas. Ron came with him.

"Kind of cool isn't it? I mean, he gets to live forever. Who wouldn't want that?" He heard a very loud snort from outside the bathroom. Hermione bustled in and began brushing her teeth.

"Honestly Ron. Why? After living that long, past the lives of your friends, your family, I'd expect you'd be tired." A warm feeling permeated his chest. He could feel pride and respect for Hermione swelling within Yugi.

/She understands./ A content smile graced his features. /She truly understands. Stick close to her Harry. She is a valuable ally./ With a huge yawn the spirit of the millennium puzzle curled up in his soul room and went to sleep. Harry thought about what he had said. Did Yugi feel tired? Had Yami felt tired? Would he be glad to depart on to the next life? Shaking these thoughts from his head Harry got in bed and pulled the covers over his head. He was tired. He just…needed……sleep.

* * *

Yugi laid down on the bed in his soul room. That girl……Hermione, she understood. She was quite right. Even though he had been 'asleep' at the time, now that he was awake he was tired. He was ready for the next life. He didn't want to be on this earth anymore. He wanted to be with him, with…Atem. Sometimes it pained his heart to call him by his true name. It was as though it created a rift between them, pulled their essences apart. Yugi curled up around his favorite pillow, the walls pulsing a dark blue light. He nuzzled the sleek leather and smiled. The pillow smelled of honey and exotic spices with a touch of chocolate and red wine, the delicious scent of Yami that he had loved to get drunk on. A small smile curved on his lips as he hugged the pillow. Maybe, when this was over………he would be able to see him again. Unbeknownst to everyone, a pale white figure stood over them. He looked down at Harry with his pupiless eyes and gave a small smile.

"Take care of the pharaoh young one. He will need your help, and you will need his." With that he dissipated through the wall and out of mortal existence.

* * *

"Harry! Harry wake up! Wake up Harry! Mum says breakfast is ready!" Harry groaned and rolled out of bed stumbling into the bedside table while he fumbled for his glasses. He heard a moan from somewhere in his mind and jumped. What the……..?! Then he remembered. Yugi.

//Yugi? Yugi wake up. Breakfast is ready.// He heard another moan and had the distinct impression that the spirit had just rolled over in his sleep.

/Mmmm……………..Go away granpa…….I don' wanna go to school……/ Harry had a hard time containing his laughter. Ron looked at him funnily. Harry shook his head. You had to hear it for it to be funny. He went down the stairs into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was dishing out eggs and bacon along with freshly buttered toast and hash browns. Harry happily dug into the meal and was soon having seconds. Afterwards he, Ron, and Hermione went into the library and cleaned up the dust that had gathered in the room, and made sure that nothing was hiding under anything. Several hours later Harry heard a yawn in his head and felt Yugi's thoughts begin to speed up. /…….nnnn……Wha' time is i'?/ Harry looked at a clock.

//About…..2 o' clock in the afternoon. What kept you in bed for so long?// He felt Yugi's shock at the time and watched him begin to dash around.

/2 o' clock?!?!?!?! Shit! My boss is gonna kill me!/ Harry was surprised as he began to feel Yugi take over in his rush.

//Woah Yugi!// He shoved him out of control. //Stop panicking. You're in the millennium puzzle now, remember?// It took a few minutes, but eventually he heard a groan. //You had a job?//

/Yes. Just because I was the game king didn't mean I didn't need a job./ Harry processed the information for a moment.

//But why were you freaking out? You've been in there for sixteen years. Wouldn't you be used to it by now?// he heard a grumble.

/Let's see you have your memories missing for sixteen years, wake up to find out you're a teenager again, have your thoughts squashed so flat they blend together and tell me if you have a little trouble remembering you're not alive anymore./ Harry backed off feeling a little angry.

//No need to snap.// He grumbled. Yugi sighed.

/Sorry. I'm just not a morning person./ Harry snickered.

//I can tell.// He teased. Yugi flipped him off and collapsed back onto his bed and was soon asleep again. Harry shook his head. Did Yugi do anything other than sleep?

/It's a side effect of being asleep for so long. Have you ever slept longer than you needed or wanted to and noticed how tired your body felt? How you just wanted to crawl back into the sheets and go to sleep again?/ Harry nodded. /Same principle. I've been asleep so long my bod...mind/ Here he felt a tinge of sadness, probably from the loss of his humanity. /Isn't used to doing anything else yet. Just give me some time. I won't be like the pharaoh. Ra, he slept so long I sometimes wondered if he was even there./ He heard a dry chuckle come from him. /If you need anything just shout. I'll try to stay up longer next time./ With that Yugi was back asleep and faintly snoring. Not loud enough to be annoying, just enough to be there. It sent small vibrations through his mind, providing a constant background noise. Harry shook his head and picked up a dusty book. The cover was black and seemed to be embossed with gold. Strange symbols were barely discernable through the grime, yet somehow it felt special. Harry brushed it off and slid it into his and Ron's room during one of their breaks. He wanted to get a closer look at it. After patching up the library they went on to the dining room and the sitting room. Yugi came out at the end of cleaning the latter and offered to let Harry rest while he tackled what was left. Harry gladly handed over control and flopped onto his soul room bed. He felt a smile tug at his lips as he gazed at the ceiling. Yugi began a cheery conversation with Hermione and Ron, who were both shocked to see the spirit. Hermione however, quickly became excited and plagued him with questions. Yugi answered them while scrubbing the table and chatting with Ron about strategy games. He seemed delighted when he realized how good Ron was at chess and immediately challenged him to a game as soon as they were done. Ron liked this idea and accepted. Hermione for once, seemed interested. With the awaiting game as motivation the three finished the table, along with the rest of the room in less than an hour. They hurried upstairs and pulled out the chessboard. Ron got his pieces out and laid them on the board. Yugi got white, Ron had red.

"White moves first." Yugi nodded. He looked at the board, contemplating his first move.

"Hmmm…….maybe……pawn C 5?" The pawn moved forward. Yugi jumped and stared at the piece as if it had grown an extra head. "……This isn't a shadow game is it?" He looked around the room to confirm that there was no black mist surrounding him. Slowly a grin spread on to his face. "Cool!" He leaned back and waited for Ron's move. Ron looked at the pieces before deciding.

"Knight D 3." The knight jumped over his pawns and settled into the square. Yugi grinned even more and commanded his next piece. He moved his own knight into the empty squares and passed his turn to Ron. The two continued on like this for a while, pulling their pieces out onto the board, analyzing each other's strategy before they began their assault. Ron was the first to draw blood. He ordered his queen to take out one of Yugi's castles. The woman glided forward and smashed the piece off the board with her chair. Yugi was so surprised by this he shouted out.

"Ra! You killed him!" Ron and Hermione were very surprised.

"It's wizard's chess, what did you expect?"

"Not this, though it does make the game rather interesting." Yugi was grinning like a little kid who had woken up on Christmas morning and realized all of the presents under the tree were for him. He eagerly jumped into the game and battled fiercely. Harry soon began to notice that Yugi's moves grew more and more calculated. An odd look of calm was set on his face as he commanded his pieces across the board. Ron was a great player, but even he couldn't beat the king of games. Yugi set up a complicated trap that involved every piece on the board, including Ron's. But once it was set it worked like a charm. Ron's pieces were soon gone and the king was captured. Yugi grinned in triumph and shook Ron's hand, who was very impressed.

"I haven't met someone this challenging since I played against my brother Charlie!" He seemed delighted. Yugi smiled and offered to play again, but Ron declined, saying he was tired from the match and hungry. Yugi gave control back to Harry and they left for the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was stirring a pot of some kind of stew when they came down. She looked up and immediately smiled.

"Harry! There you are dear! Come, come, sit down. I know you all must be hungry."

/I like her. She's nice./ Harry grinned.

//Watch out though. She can be rather sharp when you make her angry.// He heard a light chuckle from Yugi.

/I'll try to remember that./ Harry was handed a bowl of thick beef stew which he eagerly gulped down. He was surprised that he wasn't tired from all the work they had done. When Yugi had taken over he had felt ready to drop down to the floor from exhaustion. /It's a bonus of possession. If you're in control of the body, but tired. I can take over and work until you're rested. Then you take over and it's like you had a good night's sleep, though far more productive. Just be careful though./ He said, feeling where Harry's train of thought was going. /The body still needs sleep and WILL shut down on you if it doesn't get it./ In other words: Don't try it. You could cause yourself to pass out. Harry nodded and returned to his meal. /Well! Good night! Tell your friend Ron that that was an excellent game of chess and I hope to face off against him again./ Harry nodded. He felt Yugi retreat into his soul room and soon the tiny vibrations that signaled Yugi's light snoring started up. Harry smiled and finished the stew before going upstairs and changing into his pajamas. Ron seemed delighted that Yugi wanted to play again and offered to do it tomorrow. Harry nodded but didn't tell Yugi. The spirit was already asleep, why wake him when he was going to bed himself? Resolved to tell him tomorrow Harry slipped under the sheets and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

A dim shop bell clanged as a young man stepped into a dingy store. He looked around himself with distaste before heading for the counter. He stopped once to look at a curious item in one of the cases. After studying it for a few minutes he headed for the counter where he tapped the bell. The note hung hauntingly in the air for a moment before fading away. A man came out of the back of the store and gave the boy an oily smile.

"Good evening young master! What can I do for you?" The boy pulled back his left sleeve, exposing a mar which made the man pale and take several steps back.

"I need your assistance Mr. Burke. I am told you have a cabinet here in your shop, a cabinet that has never been sold, as most say it is broken." The man looked flustered but nodded his head. "I need you to fix it. I need it for a certain…….goal of mine. There is another copy exactly like it and can be used as a way to transport people from one place to another." Mr. Burke remained flustered for a moment before nodding his head.

"Yes, yes, of course, anything to help one of his supporters." He paused. "Anything else?" The young man smirked.

"As a matter of fact there is." He pointed to the object he had been observing earlier. "How much would it cost to buy that?" The millennium ring just glittered innocently as the soul inside despaired.

End Chapter

What do you think? And I know I'm evil. Deal with it! ;p !


	8. NOT A CHAPTER!

Chapter 8: Not a chapter

Hi guys. Sorry for getting your hopes up, but the current chapter of "Another of Evil" is still being written. I just wanted your opinions for a new story that I have floating around in my head. Don't get me wrong, my other stories come first. I just wanted to run this by you guys.

It's Fullmetal Alchemist Yugioh style! OR as I like to call it: Shadow Alchemist! I've got some of the characters chosen, I just need your opinions.

Edward Elric: Yami Muto

Alphonse Elric: Yugi Muto

Trisha: ?

Van Hoenheim: Atemu

Hoenheim: Atem

Winry Rockbell: Tea Gardner

Pinako Rockbell: Sugoruko Gardner

Colonel Roy Mustang: Seto Kaiba(Seriously, he's the only guy with enough ambition(though it is hard to imagine him acting like a fool and chasing after women))

Lt. Hawkeye: Isis(Ishizu)

2nd Lt. Falman: ?

Breda: ?

Havoc: Joey Wheeler

Major Armstrong: ?

Maes Hughes: ?

Elicia(Hughes daughter): ?

Glaysia(Hughes Wife): ?

Lust: Mai Valentine(She's perfect for the part! )

Envy: Marik(The yami)? Or Valon?

Gluttony: ?

Pride: Allister

Wrath: Dartz?

Sloth: Rafaeal(Not that I think he's dumb, he's the only person I can think of who has enough muscle)

Greed: Pegasus

Izumi: ?

Izumi's husband: ?

Scar: Bakura(The yami)

Lin: ?

Lan Fan: Anzu?

Fu: ?

Mei Chan: Rebecca

That's all I can think of. If you could send me feedback I would like it. For those of you who read Fullmetal Alchemist, tell me if I missed anyone. Those who haven't, I still appreciate the help.


	9. Black Magic

AHHHHHH! I MA SUCH AN IDOIT! BAKA! LOOK AT HOW LONG I DIDN'T POST A CHAPTER! BAD YIZUKI! BAD!

Chapter 8: Black Magic

"HARRY! Harry wake up! We have to go!" Harry jumped up and looked frantically around the room for the threat. Yugi jerked awake as well, but was obviously still asleep. Harry picked up his glasses and pushed them up his nose.

"What's going on?" Ron was hurrying about the room and throwing clothes onto the bed.

"Come on mate! We have to go to Diagon Alley! We need to get our stuff!" Harry nodded dumbly and picked up the clothes Ron had thrown and began slipping them on. He felt Yugi come out of the puzzle and run appraising eyes over him. Harry squirmed a bit under his gaze and hurried into his clothes, trying to avoid his eyes. He tripped into his shoes and stuck his wand in his back pocket, slipping the puzzle over his head and running down the stairs. Yugi followed at a much slower pace. When Harry got down into the kitchen he saw the Weasley's and the other members of the order of the phoenix before shock and fear overloaded his senses. He looked at Albus Dumbledore and caught a glimpse of his left hand before he was shoved out of control and practically thrown into his soul room. Harry got up off the floor and glared at the ceiling.

"Yugi!" He walked over to the door and tried to open it but found, to his astonishment, that it was locked. "Yugi, let me out!" He just felt more fear and shock mixed with a growing rage, a clear sign that he wasn't coming out until Yugi had had his way. Harry sighed and leaned against his door, thinking back to what he had seen of Dumbledore's hand and wondering if that was what had frightened the spirit of the puzzle.

For Albus Dumbledore's hand had been a solid black.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Yugi glared at the man who called himself 'Dumbledore'.

"What is that?" He asked, indicating the shriveled hand that the man sported. Ron gaped at him, obviously surprised and worried for what could have brought him out. Albus frowned up at him.

"Who are you?" Yugi blinked. How had this man known? He hid his emotions and looked down at the man with a stoic expression on his face.

"I am Harry." He replied. Dumbledore frowned.

"No you're not. I can feel it. Tell us where Harry is." At this declaration everyone in the room tensed. They shot him wary looks and a man with many scars advanced toward him menacingly. Hermione, who 

was in a corner, gasped and looked at him concernedly. Yugi drew himself up regally and sneered down at him.

"Harry is safe for now. Now tell me. How did…that happen? Your hand has black magic written all over it. I will not expose my charge to anything threatening like that." The scarred man growled and muttered something under his breath. Yugi shot back into a chair and was tied with tight bonds. All the adults in the room surrounded him.

"Now, where is Harry? We will not ask again." Yugi snarled at them.

"I will not answer your questions until you answer mine. I want to make sure my charge is safe." The scarred man cursed and was about to do something to him, until the one called Dumbledore called him off.

"If he will answer our questions, then I will tell him." He held his hand up. "I was foolish and underestimated my enemy. This is the result." Yugi frowned at the answer, but knew that he would get nothing else. He nodded. Dumbledore turned sharp blue eyes to him. "Now. Where is Harry? And who are you?" Yugi sat as straight as he could while being tied like an enemy prisoner. Which, he reasoned, is probably what they thought he was.

"Harry never truly left. This is his body. I am nothing but a spirit. My name is Yugi Muto, World champion of duel monsters and the King of Games." Many of the members of the order tensed even more when they heard what he was.

"So you're possessing him?!" A man with graying hair, whom he recognized as one of Harry's friends, practically screamed at him. Dumbledore however, was looking at him with curiosity.

"So you're the king of games? The world famous duelist who disappeared without a trace?" Yugi nodded. A woman with brown hair wound in a tight bun threw her arms up in exasperation.

"Albus! Now is not the time to go on a famous missing person's quest! We need to deal with him!" She pointed an accusing finger at him. He ground his teeth, but didn't say anything. They had every reason to be doubtful about him. Hermione coughed nervously.

"Excuse me Professor." She winced as all eyes turned to her. "Harry already knows about Yugi. He's proven that he's trustworthy. He won't do anything to him." The professor gave her a stern glare.

"Mrs. Granger. Did you know about this spirit?" Hesitantly she nodded.

"Harry told us about him right after he showed us that the he had completed the puzzle." The professor looked confused. Dumbledore however, gained a look of understanding.

"So. You are a spirit that resided in that box that strange man gave me?" Yugi raised an eyebrow.

"Strange man…..You mean Shadi? Yes. I reside in the Millennium puzzle. How I got in there is still a little foggy, but it doesn't really matter I guess. I'm here now, and I will protect Harry until it's time for me to go to the afterlife." He shot Dumbledore a look that clearly said: 'And I don't trust you'. Dumbledore wasn't fazed and looked right back. Yugi nodded and broke eye contact, looking around the room. He really hadn't taken a good look at the kitchen last time he had been down here. It was rather dismal to tell the truth. And there was a strange obsession with snakes. Not that Yugi minded. After all, the cobra represents Egyptian royalty. It seemed like a badge of honor to him. He felt Harry get rather angry at this thought and decided to talk with him. Maybe he could scare the adults some.

/Harry, are you all right?/ There was a little grumbling but, he replied.

/Yeah. I'm fine. Just warn me next time will you?/ Yugi grinned.

/Sorry. I would've, but my shock and concern for your safety overrode any coherent thought./ Harry nodded. He looked around his soul room before asking.

/So. Will you let me out now?/ Yugi stiffened in alarm as he realized that Harry was still locked in his soul room.

/Oh! Of course./ The door to his soul room unlocked. Harry opened it and came into the physical world, hovering over his body's shoulder. Harry shuddered a bit. He could never get used to the utter feeling of weightlessness that accompanied this form. He wondered how Yugi dealt with it. Hell, he might not even realize it at all. He looked at the faces of the order and had to laugh a bit. Their expressions, ranging from shocked to infuriated, were almost comical. All of a sudden he was pulled back into control. He winced as his senses quickly came back and gave him the feeling of the rope biting into his skin. He tried not to squirm as everyone's gaze bored into him.

Remus was the first to notice that he was back.

"Harry!" He rushed forward and hugged him. The others tensed. The werewolf pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Harry, what's your Patronus look like?" He asked sternly.

"A stag." Everyone relaxed. Professor Moody dispelled the ropes. Remus looked at him furiously.

"Harry, how could you! Do you know the dangers of being possessed?!" Harry tried to worm out of his arms.

"I do. But I didn't know the puzzle had a spirit in it until after I had completed it. He won't hurt me Professor, he's had plenty of chances to do it already." Dumbledore stepped forward a bit.

"May I see the puzzle Harry?" He looked up at the wizened old man and nodded. Slowly, he pulled the large golden structure from under his shirt. Everyone gasped at seeing the razor sharp edges. Mrs. Weasley dashed forward and lifted up his shirt. They were all surprised to see that there were no cuts or bruises to show that the gold object had been crushed into his chest. Professor Lupin touched the corners, marveling over how smooth they felt.

"There's some sort of guarding spell over it. It's almost like they aren't there." There was no change outwardly, but he felt a slight change in the air, as if the spell that Yugi used to keep the puzzle safe for him had gained some of their respect and trust. Dumbledore came to the front of the crowd. He cleared his throat.

"Nevertheless, I believe we need a way to tell who is in control." The moment he said that he felt a warmth around his neck. Everyone gasped. Harry strained to look down to see what had happened. Yugi sent him a mental image. There was a gold ribbon around his neck, set with three stones. One was jade green, the other two amethyst. Mrs. Weasley touched it.

"What is it?" She asked. Harry felt Yugi take control again.

"It's to tell you who is in control. The stones change color when we switch places, as well as the ribbon." Harry looked and saw it was true. The ribbon was now silver like moon light with the center jewel being amethyst, and the two side ones jade. He was given control again. Everyone stared at him for a bit.

"Now that we have that sorted, I believe we are late for the expedition to Diagon Alley." He looked to the Weasley's. "Shall I?" Mr. Weasley nodded. Dumbledore threw some powder into the fireplace and the flames turned brilliant green. Harry felt Yugi's eyebrows raise and grinned slightly. Professor Moody limped to the flames and shouted

"Diagon Alley!" With that he stepped into the flames and vanished. Yugi's utter shock made him snicker a bit. Dumbledore motioned to Mrs. Weasley. She nodded and held the flower pot of Floo powder out to everyone who was going. Ron took a pinch next.

"Diagon Alley!" The flames were emerald green again and the freckled red head stepped in. Harry stepped forward, but Dumbledore held him back.

"I would like to speak with you alone before you leave." Harry was confused but nodded anyway. Once all the people who were going as escort to Diagon alley had gone through, Dumbledore turned to him. "Could you call Mr. Muto for me?" Harry blinked. He looked over to the spirit, who shrugged and took control. He looked to the headmaster and raised an eyebrow.

"Well? You called?" Dumbledore's eyes pierced into his own. Yugi stood still, before snarling and stepping forward. "Out! GET OUT!" Dumbledore stepped back as well. Yugi sneered at him before calming. "Gomen nasai Dumbledore-sensei. But there are some things in my mind that I will allow no one to see." He bowed his head. "If you do not trust me that is fine. But I ask that you not resort to violating my privacy. All I have left is my mind now. And even that is not a sanctuary." He looked around the room before back to Dumbledore. "Is there anything else you need?" Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, go ahead." Yugi nodded and got a pinch of Floo powder. He gulped and stepped toward the fire. He closed his eyes and threw it into the fire. The flames leaped up the chimney and turned bright emerald green. He peeked an eye open and gulped. He squeezed his eyes shut again and stepped forward, shouting:

"Diagon Alley!"

END CHAPTER.


	10. Of Serpents and Leather

Chapter 9: Of Serpents and Leather

.

.

Harry collapsed on the bed. Today had been tiring, to say the least. They had gone everywhere in Diagon Alley. Gringotts, Flourish and Blotts, the Apothecary, even to Magical Menagerie. Harry frowned as he thought back to the experience.

.

_Flashback_

.

_Harry looked around mildly as the Weasley's looked around for a new owl. Errol had died recently, and they needed a new family owl. It was collectively decided that Pigwidgon would not do, despite his enthusiasm. Harry shifted from foot to foot in restless energy. He may not be all that interested, but Yugi was fascinated. His almost child-like wonder at everything was spilling over their link and into him, making him restless. Harry looked around the store, trying to find something that would hold his attention. His gaze came across a snake coiled in a gold wire cage. Harry found himself staring. It was as black as midnight, with gold scales shining every once and a while on its body. Wise, garnet eyes looked deep into his soul. He felt Yugi stiffen._

_/Yugi? What is it?/ There wasn't a response for quite a while. Eventually he caught a whisper._

_/A soul serpent./ Harry raised an eyebrow._

_/A what?/_

_/A legendary creature. They're said to be the messengers of the gods./ Harry chanced a look back at the serpent._

_/Why would god use the serpent as his messenger?/ The moment this left his lips he instantly regretted it. Yugi got very mad._

_/ Bakamono! Why should they not?! The serpent is the guardian of the pharaoh's. They symbolize their connection to the gods./ He sighed. /I'm sorry Harry. I know this culture does not hold serpents in high regards due to _Voldemort._/ He hissed the Dark Lord's name like poison. /But they are not at fault. Why punish a creature that had no choice in being picked to represent one with evil intentions?/ Harry was quiet. He was still firm in his beliefs. But still….why not? He heard a chuckle in his ear._

"Well spoken little one."_ Harry looked for the source. No one was paying much attention to him, instead contemplating a large great horned owl that looked to be only a year old. Moody was staring at him suspiciously with his electric blue eye. Other than that, there was no one to say anything. Plus, Moody wouldn't be able to hear their conversation. Finally his eyes settled on the cobra. It was staring straight at him, garnet eyes sparkling in mirth. Harry stared at it for a while._

"D-did you…"_ He whispered, speaking parseltounge just in case. The snake bobbed its head, and Harry had the distinct impression that it was chuckling._

"Yes, I did Chosen One."_ He seemed to focus his eyes on a position just behind his shoulder._ "Come out Ra's Angel. I know you're there."_ Harry watched in amazement as Yugi materialized in spiritual form beside him. He had a look of shock on his face._

"_How did you…"_

"Speak in my tongue Little Angel. I cannot understand the human language."_ Yugi nodded dumbly._

"How did you know I was there?"_ The serpent chuckled again._

"I am a soul serpent. I can feel the presence of other magical beings."_ Yugi accepted the explanation, nodding his head._

"But what are you doing here?" _Harry asked. The serpent hissed lightly, as if considering whether or not to tell him._

"Waiting for you. Ra has a message for the little one."_ He turned to Yugi. _"He says: Be patient my young angel. You shall have what you desire soon. For now stay strong. Give my children the light I graced you with. Keep hope and happiness within your heart, for they are your greatest strengths."_ The serpent began to dissipate into a black smoke that smelled odd, but vaguely familiar, a mix of honey, spices, and the faintest tinge of chocolate drenched in red wine. He noticed that tears had come to Yugi's eyes._

"Wait!"_ He called. _"When?! When will I see him?!"_ The garnet eyes locked with Yugi's their depths radiating sadness._

"I cannot tell you Little Angel, only that it will be soon. You may see me now and again, whenever you need my help."_ With that, the last wisp of smoke disappeared, only leaving the hauntingly familiar scent hanging in the air. Yugi collapsed to the floor in tears. Ron looked up and sniffed._

"_Fred, George, did you bring any Egyptian artifacts back from out trip?" They looked at him strangely._

"_No we didn't." They sniffed the air. "Though come to think of it, that does smell an awful lot like one." It was at this point that the shop keeper looked to the cage where the serpent had been._

"_NO! Not again! That's the fifth time this week!"_

_._

_End Flashback_

Yugi had gone back into his soul room once they left, and didn't speak for a good while. It wasn't until they went into Flourish and Blotts that he decided to appear again.

_._

_Flashback_

_._

_Harry waited patiently in line, once again shifting with restless energy. His mind wandered back to what the soul serpent had said._

'Why did it call Yugi 'Ra's Angel'? Yugi told me he was a part of a pharaoh's soul. But then, shouldn't they call him 'Pharaoh' or, 'Child of Ra'?'_ He jumped when Yugi came out._

_/He called me an angel, because that is my fate. When the pharaoh and I were one, we were a child of Ra. But when we split, we split into light and dark. Atem was still a child of Ra, even though he was darker than before. But I…was light, the force that Ra represents. In that moment I became more than his child. Even though the Egyptian culture has no angels, it is the closest thing I am to him./ He looked around. /Is this a library?/ Harry shook his head._

_/Book store./ Yugi shrugged._

_/Close enough./ He didn't get to say much else, because at that moment, Malfoy passed by the window, heading towards Knocturn Alley. Harry forgot completely about Yugi and turned to his friends._

"_Did you see that?" He whispered. Ron and Hermione nodded. "Let's follow him." Hermione shook her head._

"_Harry no!"_

_/Listen to her Harry, she speaks wisdom./ Harry ignored them both and got out his invisibility cloak, putting it on. Ron got under with him. Hermione sighed._

"_Oh, there's no persuading you is there? Move aside." She got underneath the cloak with them. Ron looked at her._

"_Hermione?" He started. She sighed._

"_Well someone has to look over you don't they?" Yugi grinned._

_/It really is a shame she's not your girlfriend Harry. I like her./ Harry felt his face flush. /But then again, I don't think that Ron would appreciate it./ He looked over to Ron just in time to see an odd expression on his face. Yugi laughed. /This'll take some time. But I think they'll get over themselves eventually and fess up. It'll be an interesting scene./ Harry raised his eyebrows. He had never really thought of Ron and Hermione as a couple. Yet….It could explain his reactions to other boys being near her. Possesiveness. Shaking these thoughts away, he began creeping after Malfoy. They had to move slowly so they wouldn't jostle into anybody, not to mention that their feet were showing. They had to move carefully to make sure no attention was drawn to them. A cooling sensation brushed his legs. He looked down to see an odd darkness circling their ankles. It was black-violet with dark red, like drenched blood. Harry stiffened when he realized it was part of the shadow realm. He felt Yugi sending reassurance through their mind link. /Relax Harry. They won't hurt you. I'm covering your feet so that you may walk more normally. Go. The shadows are keeping them invisible./_

_/But you said that the shadows…./_

_/Only when you enter their realm. The shadows are a lot like fire. If you can control them, they are excellent servants, but the more you summon, the less control you have. And if you lose control, they will devastate everything in their path./ Harry nodded and told his friends to walk a little faster. When Hermione asked why, Harry told them about the shadows. They were a little nervous, but after Harry told them that they couldn't hurt them, they calmed and continued walking, this time much faster. They actually managed to keep track of the elusive blonde, only pausing momentarily when he went into Knockturn Alley. Yugi tensed as they passed all the shops filled with cursed and illegal items. Malfoy eventually stopped in front of Borgin and Burkes. He paused briefly, frowning and looking towards them, before shrugging and heading inside. Harry released a breath. For a moment there he thought they had been caught. However, when Malfoy didn't turn back around, they knew he hadn't seen them. They followed a bit, and caught up just in time to see Malfoy walk into Borgin and Burkes._

_Harry and the others crept closer to the door, trying to catch the conversation._

"_Is it fixed yet?" Malfoy asked. There was a muffled answer in response. "He won't be happy you know. And you know what happens to those who make him unhappy." Now they heard Mr. Borgin's ramblings._

"_OF course, of course. I'm working on it as fast as I can. But it is difficult to mend it while keeping the spells in tact. Perhaps if his lord gave me more…" He halted._

"_I do believe you know what happens to people who put this on. They went mad and are now in St. Mungo's." Yugi stiffened, a thoughtful look on his face. "You will finish it with the tools you have. And you will finish it _soon._" There was a pause._

"…_Yes…Of course. Whatever his lord wishes." Harry stretched a bit to see their expressions. He felt the cooling sensation of the shadows swirling up his legs as the cloak lifted further away from the ground. He shivered a bit. This had been the first time he had felt the shadows, so he wasn't used to the feeing. And yet, even now, he could start to feel a subtle warmth._

_Maybe his legs were just cold._

_The ringing of the shop bell made them turn around just in time to see Malfoy heading for them. Harry and the others backed up, but nearly ended up running into Professor Snape. Yugi, on instinct, began to _

_envelop them with the shadow realm. Malfoy stopped short and began to turn towards their location. Harry felt immense shock from Yugi._

_/Crouch as low as you can./ He said._

_/What?/_

_/Just do it!/ Harry felt worry begin to coil up in his belly. Yugi wouldn't be worried, unless there was something to be genuinely worried about._

"_Get down." He said._

"_What?" Hermione whispered._

"_Do it!" He hissed. Hermione and Ron crouched down. Instantly, Yugi pulled the shadows away. Hermione looked a him funnily. Harry just shrugged his shoulders._

_/Why did you do that?/ He asked._

_/Not now!/ Yugi shouted. /Malfoy can sense my shadow magic. As long as I use it, he'll continue to know where we are. Get out of here. Now!!/ Not arguing, Harry led them to the middle of the street. /Watch out!/ Too late, a hag bumped into them. /Run!/ Harry didn't question the order. They dashed out of Knockturn Alley, hoping against hope that no one would see their legs. Once they were back in Diagon Alley, they removed the cloak._

"_What was that about?" Harry asked. Yugi appeared in spirit form next to him with an extremely troubled expression._

"_I can't be sure, but…I think Malfoy has a millennium item."_

"_What?!" He shouted. Several people turned to look at who had shouted. They instantly turned away when they realized who it was. Yugi disappeared back into his soul room._

_/ Believe me, it makes sense. They're the only magical items I know of that make you go insane if you aren't destined to hold them./ Harry blinked._

_/They make you go insane?/ He felt Yugi nod. /So if I hadn't been destined to hold the puzzle….I would be…/_

_/A mad hatter? Somewhat./ Harry raised an eyebrow at him. /The puzzle is the most powerful item. And for some reason it works slightly differently. With the other items you have to wear them, but since the puzzle is in pieces, it almost makes a game of it. You go mad from not being able solve it. Usually you die soon after./ Harry was silent for quite a while._

_/…What item do think Malfoy has?/ Yugi shrugged._

_/I'm not sure. I'd need to know the effects it had on the people who put it on. They're different for each item./ Again, Harry was silent._

_/Should the Order of the Phoenix know?/ Now it was Yugi's turn to be silent. The spirit was very stiff, then forcibly relaxed._

_/…If you feel it's necessary, and if it will gain their trust then….yes./ A sigh. /Forgive me Harry-san, but I do not think that they will believe me for quite a while./ Harry nodded._

_/What if I just told Dumbledore?/ Yugi was silent again._

_/It…might work. I feel that Dumbledore-sensei is more trusting of me, despite my position….Yes, tell him. If one item is loose, it is sure that the others are somewhere nearby. They must look for them. The _

_millennium puzzle may be the strongest item, but that doesn't mean that the others can't cause plenty of destruction on their own./ Harry nodded._

_End Flashback_

After that, they had gone back to Gringotts and exchanged some wizard money into Muggle money, and gone to buy clothes. Surprisingly, Yugi had come into his element. Even though all he wore was leather, he knew where all the good stores would be at cheap price.

_Flashback_

"_Whoa! George! Look at this!" The red headed twin popped his head around the corner. He whistled._

"_Wow. That's great."_

"_And only ten Euros."_

"_You're joking!" Hermione and Ginny were giggling in a corner, pulling out different clothes and trying them on. _

_/You're pretty handy./ Harry joked. He felt Yugi giggle._

_/ You thought I wouldn't be?/_

_/Not when it came to shopping./ He chuckled. /I wouldn't be surprised if you were gay./ Yugi was silent. /Yugi?/ No response. /Yugi what's wrong?/ Still no response. His eyes widened. /Oh god…Yugi I'm…/_

_/It's fine. Sometimes I forget where I am./ He felt the spirit retreating. /I'll…/_

_/Yugi. I am sorry. You don't have to close yourself off./ There was hesitation, then a brilliant smile._

_/Thank you Harry./ He just sent a small smile back. Yugi giggled. /Well, now that that's in the open. There's a certain store here that I've been wanting to go in./ Harry started looking around._

_/Where?/ His eyes were drawn to a store that said "Second hand leather". /Oh no. No….NO…/_

_Harry fumed from inside his soul room. Yugi was currently inside the leather store, and looking at said shirts._

_/Oh calm down Harry./ He pulled out a simple sleeveless black leather shirt. /Have a little fun./_

_/I do not consider putting on leather 'fun'./ He felt Yugi grin mercilessly._

_/Too bad./ He plucked all the clothes he had picked and went into a dressing room, coming out a few seconds later in the leather. He spun around in front of the mirror a few times before nodding. /This'll do./ He turned to the cashier. /I'm paying for it, and then you go outside in this./_

_/NO!/ Yugi chuckled._

_/ You don't have a choice./ He then went to the cash register and paid for the clothes, and immediately went outside. Hermione turned to him and her jaw dropped._

"_Harry!" Everyone turned to look where she said. Yugi gave control back. Harry grit his teeth. Hermione ran over to him. "What happened to you?" He growled._

"_Yugi happened."_

"_What did that infernal ghost do?" Moody growled. Harry felt irritation from Yugi and found himself out of control again._

"_For your information I am a spirit, not a ghost." Moody growled._

"_Spirits, ghosts, they're all the same, and what are you wearing?" He cast a distasteful eye at the outfit. He was wearing a black leather shirt and pants, with silver buckled black leather boots and a black leather jacket. The ribbon necklace Yugi had made was currently glowing a moonlight silver to match the buckles. Yugi smirked and crossed his arms._

"_Leather." He frowned. "And no, we're not the same. Ghosts are more universal, just a copy of their old selves. Their original souls aren't on this plane of existence. Spirits _are_ the souls, tied down in objects. Our object is like a new body." Moody growled. Harry pushed Yugi out of control, so they wouldn't get into a fight._

"_Sorry about Yugi. He's annoyed that you don't trust him." Moody growled._

"_I won't trust him, not until he proves himself." Harry was thrown out of control again._

"_And what would that be? Even if I saved his life you wouldn't trust me would you? The only way you would trust me is if I never showed up and left it all to you right? Very well." Harry was shoved back in control and he felt Yugi close his soul room door. Harry frowned._

_/Yugi? Yugi come out./ No response. He sighed. Great, Yugi was probably feeling down because no one trusted him, and the fact that he had joked about his sexuality. Yeah. He'd have to apologize for that. He felt a hand on his shoulder._

"_Harry?" It was Hermione. He shook his head._

"_Yugi's blocked me. I can't tell what's going on." Hermione sighed._

"_Just let him sulk. He needs some time alone." Harry nodded, following everyone back to Grimauld place. _

_/Yugi's right./ He thought. /It really is a shame she's not my girlfriend./ He glanced back at Ron. /But then….I also think that Ron wouldn't approve./ He didn't know it then, but Yugi had heard what he thought. The young spirit smiled, curling up on his bed, and drifting off into sleep._

_End Flashback_

Harry wandered around the house, trying to catch one of the members of the Order of the Phoenix to get in contact with Dumbledore.

More pointedly, one specific member.

"Potter. What are you doing here?"

'_Found him._' He thought. "I…need your help." Harry winced when he saw the vicious smirk spread across his face.

"Well, well. This is a…surprise to say the least." He frowned. "What do you need?"

"I need to find Dumbledore. I have something important to tell him." Snape sneered.

"If it is another vision Potter, the headmaster is…"

"It's not a vision." He snapped. "Yugi found something out that he needs to know." Snape lifted an eyebrow.

"And it is so important that you can't tell the other order members?" Harry held back a growl.

"If you haven't noticed _Professor_. The order members aren't exactly friendly towards him. They probably wouldn't believe him. Dumbledore is the only one who would accept the information." Snape sneered back, having a glaring contest with him. Finally he turned on his heel.

"I will contact the headmaster. But I shall not do this again. Next time, find him yourself." Harry nodded dumbly.

/His past haunts him more than he lets on./ Harry jerked.

/Yugi?/ There was no response. He sighed. /I am sorry./ Then he went down to get dinner. However, in his head, he felt the door to Yugi's soul room unlock. He smiled.

.

...

.

Harry yawned. He had been trying to go to sleep for about an hour now, but every time, strange noises would wake him up. Getting fed up, he went into his soul room. He strode towards the towards, where the noises were louder. Yugi's door was still shut tight, but when he turned the knob, he found the it unlocked. He knocked on the door.

"Yugi? You there?" He slapped his forehead. Of course Yugi was in here. Where else would he go?

There was no response, only a long, wanton moan. He hesitantly opened the door. "Hey Yugi, I was wonderiIING!" He slammed the door shut, breathing heavily. He covered his eyes for a moment. "I will never; be the same again." Another cry came from the room. Harry shivered, and carefully started to tread towards his own soul room. 'Mental note.' He thought. 'Never, go into Yugi's soul room unannounced EVER again.'

Chapter End

Well? What do you think? And what do you think Harry stumbled in on? Any guesses? Evil smile. Come on. Guess.


	11. To Hogwarts!

I'm very sorry that I'm not updating all that often. I've been really busy with school and stuff. I hope I can update more often now that it's summer.

Okay. For those of you who guessed what Harry walked in on, I shall address the answers personally.

Kagomegirl192: You're one of the closest. But Yami's in the afterlife, remember? Eew! Why would I even think about having him do that? It's disgusting! P!

Dark Reborn: Way off the mark. It's a little dirtier than a duel monster or a maze soul room. I've already described Yugi's soul room in one of the chapters.

Flying on a Broken Wing: Yes it is dirty, but more specific.

Isis the Sphinx: Oh! So close! It's not a memory, but very, _very_ similar.

Can anyone guess? Well, it was……

.

.

A dream! That's right folks! Yugi was having a dream about….that stuff. Cookies for all who guessed! Flames that made the cookies for those who didn't! Nyah! ;p!

Chapter 10: To Hogwarts!

Harrry spent the rest of the last few weeks thinking about what Malfoy had said. To his slight annoyance, however, no one seemed particularly interested in it. Or at least…it didn't seem to hold their attention like it did for him.

"Yes I agree it's fishy Harry," Said Hermione, a little impatiently. She had been reading one of her school books and had currently been pulled out of it. "But we agreed that there were a lot of explanations for it didn't we?"

"Maybe he broke the hand of Glory." Ron said vaguely, entire attention focused on straightening his broomsticks bent tail twigs. "Remember it? That shriveled old arm that he had?"

"But he said, "Don't forget to keep that one safe". It must mean there was something else right? Another broken object maybe."

"Maybe." Ron said, now trying to get dirt off his broom handle. A wave of familiarity and nostalgia calmed his irritation a bit. Yugi was currently watching them, smiling fondly at the way Ron was caring for his broom. From the brief glances of memory he got, he recognized that Yugi did something very similar with his own deck of cards.

"Malfoy's father is in prison isn't he? Don't you think he'd want revenge?" Ron looked up, blinking.

"Malfoy? Revenge? What can he do about it?"

"That's the point! I don't know!" He said, frustrated. "But he's up to something and I think we should be taking it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and…." He trailed off, dimly feeling Yugi stiffening when he caught on to his revelation.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Your scar's not hurting is it?" Ron asked nervously.

"He's a Death Eater." Harry said. "He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!" There was silence, followed by howling laughter.

"_M-Malfoy?_ He's sixteen Harry! You honestly think You-Know- Who would just let him join?" Ron cracked up again.

"It does seem very unlikely." Hermione said. "What makes you think…?"

"In Madam Malkin's. She didn't touch him, but he yelled at her when she tried to roll up his sleeve. It was his left arm. He's been branded with the dark mark." Harry felt comprehension from Yugi. He remembered the incident very clearly. Malfoy had been insulting everything so much that the spirit would rather like to 'throw the insolent brat in the shadow realm and let him scare himself silly.'

"Well…." Said Ron, still sounding very unconvinced.

"I think he just wanted to get out of there fast Harry." Harry opened his mouth to argue.

/Leave it Harry./ Yugi spoke. /They are good friends, but they are young. Not all are as mature as you, though they strive to be./ He felt a half smile drift across the mind link. Annoyed, but feeling more at ease with Yugi's encouragement, Harry snatched up a pile of filthy Quidditch robes and left the room. Surprisingly, Yugi had been very encouraging of his opinion, though he suspected that some of it was his own anxiety spilling over the mind link and into the others soul room. On the landing he bumped into Ginny, who was returning to her own room with a pile of freshly laundered clothes.

"I wouldn't go into the kitchen just now." She warned. "There's a lot of Phlegm around." Yugi chuckled at the nickname.

"I'll be careful not to slip in it." Harry smiled.

Sure enough, when he entered the kitchen it was to find Fluer sitting at the kitchen table, in full flow about plans for her wedding to Bill, while Mrs. Weasley kept watch over a pile of self peeling sprouts, looking bad tempered. Harry felt Yugi shake his head. The spirit felt that Mrs. Weasley was overreacting. Fluer was a nice girl, if you got past her running mouth.

"…Bill and I' ave almost decided on only two bridesmaids, Ginny and Gabrielle will look very sweet togezzer. I am theenking of dressing zem in pale gold- pink would of course be 'orrible with Ginny's 'air."

"Ah! Harry!" Said Mrs. Weasley loudly, cutting across Fluer's monologue. "Good, I wanted to explain about the security arrangements for the journey to Hogwarts tomorrow. We've got Ministry cars again, and there will be Aurors waiting at the station-"

"Is Tonks going to be there?" Asked Harry, handing her his Quidditch things. He really wanted to show Tonks Yugi's eyes. He hoped it would cheer her up. From what he had been hearing, she was feeling really down about Sirius's death.

He felt his own eyes tear up when he thought of it, but they were dried by a wave of warmth and reassurance. Yugi had seen what had happened to Sirius, and had soothed him since. Harry wiped his eyes and nodded to Mrs. Weasley, handing her his Quidditch robes. Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and they soared over to the washing machine and were dumped in . Harry sighed and went back up to the room he shared with Ron, wondering what he would do now for the rest of the day.

"Hurry along now! The train will be leaving any moment!" Harry darted over to Mr. Weasley. They were just inside King's Cross Station, and he was going to try and talk to Mister…..

The next thing he knew, he was on the train and waving goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as the train pulled out of the station. Harry blinked, looking down at his hand. Before he narrowed his eyes and stomped into a spare compartment. He vaguely noticed that Luna, Ginny, and Neville were inside before he closed his eyes and angrily threw himself into his soul room. He strode across to his door and angrily yanked it open, not paying attention to the seemingly endless hallway and burst into Yugi's room.

"I thought I told you not to take control at the station!" Yugi turned burning bright eyes to him, amethyst depths flaring and crackling with anger.

"And I thought I told _you_ not to speak to Mr. Weasley about what happened! You know that if we told him of our suspicions we would have to explain about our findings! And I will not have you tell anyone but Dumbledore! That was our agreement!" Harry didn't back down from the angry spirit in front of him. They glared at each other for several minutes before they both huffed and spun away from each other.

"Fine. Then we tell Dumbledore as soon as we get to the school." Yugi nodded, then looked up at the ceiling of his soul room.

"You'd better head to the outside world Harry. It seems your friends are worried about you." Harry nodded and went back into his body. Yugi stared at the spot he was for a few moments, before shaking his head and chuckling. "Well, it seems he's getting stronger." He looked back up at his ceiling, this time with pensive thoughtfulness. "I wonder…"

"Harry? Harry!" Harry jerked awake and opened his eyes. Neville was a foot in front of him, frowning in concern. "Are you all right Harry?" He shook his head.

"Yeah…Yeah, I'm fine Neville." Neville looked skeptical, but let it go.

"Harry. Your owls outside." Harry rushed over to the window and peered out. Sure enough, an exhausted Hedwig was flying just outside of the train's slip stream. Harry hastily opened the window. Hedwig weakly flapped her wings and floated inside, collapsing on a seat.

"Hedwig!" Harry picked her up. "Are you all right?" Hedwig gave a feeble hoot, lifting her leg. A heavy cardboard package was tied with plastic string around her leg. He hastily took out a penknife he had found in his room at the Dursleys to cut the string and open the package.

"What's this?" Neville asked, pulling out a handful of packing peanuts and letting them drift back into the box. Luna looked scared and excited at the same time.

"They're shriveled crumple beans! Highly poisonous! Someone's trying to kill you Harry!"

/Okay….I think she might be a little…/ The exact replica of a cuckoo clock sound rang through his head. Harry snickered. Neville had snatched his hand back from the box and was now looking at it worriedly, like it would explode any moment.

"They're called packing peanuts, a Muggle invention. They keep fragile things from breaking." //How did you do that?// Yugi snickered.

/Another advantage of a mind link. Since it's our minds connected, we only have to think of something for the other to see or hear it. It's pretty handy when you're trying to describe something./ Harry reached in and pulled out a letter off the top. He frowned. The letter was not written in English, but a short, box like kanji. He couldn't understand a word of it.

/I'll translate./ Yugi said. /It says.

_My dearest grandson Yugi,_/ Harry raised his eyebrow.

/_It's been a while since I've heard from you. It's good to know you're out of that box now. I sent you a few of your things, as well as a letter from Kaiba stating that he doesn't buy your act for a minute, and if you don't get your butt back to Domino within the next twenty-four hours he will personally hunt down your "Host", bring your head back on a silver platter, and mount it on his wall._/ Yugi chuckled. Harry held the letter slightly away from him, as if this supposed Kaiba would leap out of the page and take his head right now. /_The gang is very anxious to see you. Joey has even gotten leave for a full month from Kaiba Corporation dueling academy to come see you._/ Now it was Yugi's turn to raise his eyebrows. /_Yes. Kaiba Corporation. A bout a year after you left Kaiba came up to Joey and offered him the position, along with several other things. It eventually came out that the man was deeply in love with him, and was giving him these things to win his heart. He got the expected reaction: A fist in the face. It's taken Kaiba fifteen years to win Joey's affections, or at least, we think they're affections. He's stopped trying to beat Kaiba into a pulp and is actually blushing when he makes advances. Lucky Kaiba's so stubborn, or this would've been over much sooner. As it is, Joey finally seems to be warming up to that hunk of ice._

_Tea and Tristan are going to have a baby soon. I know, shocking isn't it? Three years after Kaiba's proposal they started going out. Two years later they made it official and tied the knot. They're on their second child._/ Yugi was very silent for quite a while. /_Well, I've probably given you enough to think about. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Grandpa_

_P.S. Don't send the owl again. I think the journey tired her out._/ Harry chuckled faintly. He reached down and pulled out a belt, and clipped onto the side was a holster for a deck of cards. He grinned when he felt Yugi's excitement. Apparently this was his old deck holster. He popped open the lid and started flipping through the cards. He found a lot of them intriguing, but one in particular caught his eye.

"You like my Magician of Black Chaos?"Harry started a bit. Yugi was sitting next to him, looking at his deck fondly. "He did help me a lot, but my favorite is the Dark Magician" He pointed out a card with a tall, vaguely wizard shaped hat. Its robes were a dark purple and he held a mystic green staff and had shoulder length hair the same color of his robes. Harry smiled and began flipping through the deck, Yugi supplying him with both the basics and details of the game. It was very strange. He could literally _feel_ the information being transferred from Yugi's mind to his own and sticking as if he had learned it himself. //Just how much can this mind link _do_?//

"Quite a lot." Harry jumped, looking to Yugi.

"Are you sure you're okay Harry?" He nodded.

"Yeah….I'm fine." Yugi chuckled.

"I'm going to have to teach you how to block your side of the mind link."

//Now?// Yugi shook his head.

"It takes time. And if you space out much more, your friends will disregard your reassurances and try to find out what's wrong." Harry nodded. At that moment Hermione and Ron appeared.

"Hiya Harry! Oh, Hello Neville, Ginny….Luna." Hermione said. They all nodded to her.

"Hey Hermione. Hello Ron." Hermione and Ron sat down next to Harry.

"What you got there Harry?" Ron asked.

"It's called a duel disk. You use it to play duel monsters."

"What's duel monsters?" Neville asked.

"It's a game a friend of mine plays." Neville let out a small 'oh' and sat back.

"How do you play?" Luna inquired. Harry grinned as he pulled out Yugi's deck.

"See these cards? You place them on the field in different places according to what type they are. Monster" He showed a monster card. "Spell." He picked that one up. "And Trap." Luna stared at them for a moment.

"But how do you know what they do? They're all in Japanese."

"What?" Harry looked down at the cards. Luna was right. All the cards were written in the Japanese dialect. Yugi chuckled.

"Well this is fun." He said. Harry glared at the spirit. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Give the cards to me." She said. Harry reluctantly handed them over. "_Transiato Ingles._" Harry watched in amazement as the writing on one of the cards wriggled around and slowly formed into English.

"Wicked!" Ron said. Yugi hummed appreciatively.

"Impressive." He said.

"But there's one problem." Harry pointed out. "It'll take a life time to translate each card one by one." Hermione frowned.

"He does have a point."

"Harry." He turned to the spirit.

//Yes Yugi?//

"Are there such things as translation spells for people?" Harry blinked dumbly for a second before he caught on.

"You're a genius!" He shouted.

"Who is?" Harry jumped and blushed. Everyone in the car was staring at him strangely. Everyone except Ron and Hermione, who knew what was going on.

"Hermione, do you know any spells for translation on people." Hermione immediately brightened.

"Oh of course! Don't translate the cards, make it so the people can understand the language! It'll be much easier." She beamed at the doorway, where she thought Yugi was. Yugi giggled a bit. Harry tapped her shoulder.

"He's over there." He whispered, pointing towards the carriage window. Hermione blushed in embarrassment, but redirected her smile in the direction he had pointed. Yugi laughed. Hermione took out her wand and quickly cast the spell on everyone. "Now we should be able to read them with no problem." Harry said. And he was right. Everyone could read the cards as if they were written in English. Hermione nodded her head.

"But let's make sure the spell worked correctly. I want you to read a paragraph of this book." Everyone groaned but did it. "And please read out loud." After the book had been passed around Hermione nodded. "Sorry. I just wanted to make sure that we could all still read and speak English." She said, before casting the spell on herself and going through the same process.

Yugi chattered beside him, happily giving pointers when Harry got confused. Afterwards Ron wanted to play to try out his new knowledge. Harry was about to say that they couldn't, when Luna reached into the box and pulled out a handful of card booster packs. Eagerly, Ron dove in and tore them open in his eagerness to build a deck. Harry laughed when Yugi began prodding the red head and shouting in his ear that he could not make a deck properly by just slapping two cards together, completely disregarding the fact that Ron couldn't hear him at all. Shaking his head, Harry went over and began relaying information. Neville, curious, also picked up a few cards and began timidly arranging them, mainly picking up the plant cards. Hermione timidly picked up some too, carefully reading each effect before putting it in. It was rather uncertain to him, as he didn't have the experience or insight that Yugi did, but from what he could feel from the link, she seemed to be building her deck around magic and trap cards with spellcaster type monsters. Even Luna was looking at the cards curiously and picking up a few and staring at them as if they were talking to her. Yugi chuckled. "As amusing as this is, I believe the cards were originally for us." Harry looked at him.

//But we already have your deck.// He said. Yugi nodded.

"Exactly. My deck. We are a team now Harry. In order for our deck to work it has to be built by the both of us, not just one." Harry nodded and ripped open a packet. Carefully he sorted through the cards, not really favoring any monster, though the attribute seemed to lean towards fire and light. Yugi helped out by pointing out better cards and combinations to use. When he was done he quietly handed control over to Yugi, who began to pick out his own cards. It took several hours of the two switching back and forth to modify the deck.

"Well! That should do it!" Yugi said happily, gazing down at the deck in Yugi's hands. It was very different from Yugi's old deck. A lot of the monsters had changed except for a few classics like the Dark Magician and Black Magician of Chaos. Harry didn't know why, but he felt connected to that card. Just as Harry was lowering the box onto the floor so that he could put all the trash in it, he noticed a strange package hidden in the bottom of the box. Harry pulled it out. It was a small gold box about the size of the cards. Curious he pulled off the top and looked in.

"Huh?" He pulled out three cards and jumped at the _waves_ of power that rolled off of them.

"Harry?" Hermione asked nervously, as if she could feel it too. Harry shook his head and turned the cards over. He vaguely heard Yugi gasp. Three massive monsters were displayed. One was a blue skinned giant with thick, rock like muscles and glowing red eyes. The second was a snake-like dragon with bright red scales and a black underbelly with small, bat-like wings protruding just behind his forefeet, but before his hind legs. The most startling thing was its jaws. There were _two_ of them, lined with razor sharp teeth. Brilliant yellow eyes glared out at the spectators. The final though, was the most impressive. It looked a bit like a cross between a dragon and a griffon, made out of solid gold. Burning red eyes gazed at him with such intelligence that he expected it to leap out at any moment.

"I expected Kaiba or Malik to take these." Yugi whispered.

"What are they?" He whispered.

"Obelisk the Tormentor." He said, pointing at the blue giant. "Slifer the Sky Dragon." He pointed to the red dragon. "The Winged Dragon of Ra." He pointed to the golden dragon-griffon. "They're the most powerful cards in the game." At that moment the compartment door slammed open. Ron growled.

"Malfoy. What do you want?" Malfoy sneered at him.

"Oh, I just wanted to see the supposed _Chosen One_. Slughorn's looking for you, you know." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"He is?" //Why would he want me?// Yugi snorted.

"Slughorn is the type of man that likes his creature comforts, but doesn't relish paying for them. So he surrounds himself with people who are famous or knows can become famous and becomes friends with them, uses his own power and influence, and even teaching, to make them great. And who wouldn't want to give him something in return as thanks? A package of his favorite candy? a good bottle Cognac? A good word among the higher ups on what a wonderful person he is? That is why he wants you Harry. You are the most enticing prey he has ever had. You have been famous since childhood, and have only earned even more of a name as you have gotten older. He knows you will be extremely successful when you are finally an…adult." Yugi looked at Malfoy. He waved his hand. Malfoy stared at him wide-eyed. Yugi smirked. "Well. I think it's safe to say that Malfoy can see me." Harry jerked and looked over at him.

//How?// Yugi giggled.

"Simple. He has a millennium item." Harry looked over to him and picked up the cards, flipping through his deck.

"Well Slughorn will have to be disappointed today. I'm perfectly comfortable where I am." Malfoy glowered.

"I'm not your owl Potter! Tell him on your own!" He stiffened when Harry picked up the three Egyptian God cards and placed them in his deck. His eyes flashed from stone grey to chocolate brown. Shaking his head, he stormed out of the compartment, a confused Crabbe and Goyle following close behind. Yugi smiled.

"Well we know that Malfoy has a millennium item now. And I know which one he has too." Harry gaped at him.

//Which one?// He asked. Yugi giggled.

"The Millennium Ring. Inhabited by my dear friend Ryou."

END CHAPTER.


	12. Telling Dumbledore

Chapter 11: Telling Dumbledore

.

"Holy Ra…What are these things?" Harry glanced at them and sighed.

"Thestrals. They're only visible to people who have seen death." Yugi stared at them for a moment with sad eyes.

"Ah." He quietly floated into a carriage. Harry climbed in right after him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. They had gotten separated from Neville, Ginny, and Luna, even Hermione and Ron, even though those had probably seen him climb into this carriage, so he didn't have to worry about anyone hearing him. Yugi sighed.

"It's just…When you've seen the doors to the afterlife themselves…well…" Harry quickly caught. It surprised him how much the spirit thought of Atemu. Then again, according to Yugi they had been the other half of each other's soul. It must be painful. He knew that he would miss Yugi when he left.

"Hey Harry!" Hermione, Ron, and Ginny climbed into the carriage. "Why'd you try to leave us mate?" Harry smiled

"Yugi wanted to be alone for a while."

"Who's Yugi?" They all stiffened. Luna and Neville were at the door to the carriage, gazing at them.

"Er….Hi Luna!" Harry said brightly. Luna just stared back at him. He coughed uncomfortably. He sighed. "Get in. I'll tell you." Quietly, they both got in. Harry hastily shut the door and began telling them about the spirit and what had happened so far. At the end Luna blinked.

"So this Yugi is a spirit that inhabits the upside down pyramid called the Millennium Puzzle that used to be inhabited by a spirit named Yami, who was a pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. There are six other Millennium Items, all with different powers. And Malfoy has one that has one of Yugi's friends in it named Ryou, which used to be inhabited by a thief named Bakura. And that new ribbon around your neck is to show everyone who's in control because the Order of Phoenix doesn't trust him." Harry nodded. Luna broke into a very wide grin. "COOL!" Everyone gazed her apprehensively. Ron coughed.

"So who is Ryou exactly?" Harry looked over to Yugi, who nodded, before taking over. Everyone gasped as the Millennium Puzzle lit up and the ribbon around his neck changed from gold to silver, the amethyst stones changing to jade green, and the Jade green stone changing to Amethyst. Yugi opened Harry's eyes and gazed at all of them.

"You didn't tell us that the puzzle would do that when you switched control!" Hermione said, having a hurt look on her face. Yugi smiled sheepishly.

"You never asked. Besides, Harry thinks the thing is a little too gaudy and unusual to be wearing around for everyone to see. And you can't exactly see the glow through clothes. The necklace is much more subtle and not nearly as showy." Hermione had to concede the point. "You were asking about Ryou?" They all jolted.

"Oh yeah! So who is he? Other than your friend of course." Harry became very frightened when Yugi got a scary smirk and laid across the seat in an alluring way.

"Oh, he used to be my lover."

"WHAT?!" They all shouted. Yugi cracked up laughing.

"Oh…GODS! The looks on your faces! Ah ha ha ha ha!" He fell onto the floor he was convulsing so hard. Ron flushed bright red, his ears looking like they were about to catch on fire. Hermione was blushing brightly while Ginny was staring at him with bugged out eyes. Neville squeaked and tried to press himself into the wall of the carriage. Luna was the only one who didn't react to the statement. When Yugi finally got a hold of himself, he climbed back up onto the seat. "No. Ha ha! R-Ryou wasn't my lover. Hee hee! H-he was just my friend."

"But you are Gay." Yugi jumped and stared at Luna. Luna stared right back with a thoughtful expression. Yugi flushed.

"Y-Yes." Hermione squeaked and Ron slowly backed away from him. Neville just whimpered and pressed himself in even tighter. Ginny looked down at the ground. Yugi sighed. "Don't worry, I have no interest in searching for anyone. The one I love is waiting for me in the afterlife."

"Yami?" Luna said. Yugi blushed even more.

"Yes." He squeaked, blushing in embarrassment. Hermione looked out the window for a moment. Yugi sighed. "Anyway, there's not much to know about Ryou. We were never very close. He's actually originally from England, so he has a rather strong English accent. He' s a little obessed with the Occult. So if you ever duel him, be prepared to be scared shitless." Hermione looked as if she was about to reprimand him when Yugi spoke. "I'm not a teenager Hermione. I was Twenty-two when I was trapped in the puzzle. And technically I'm now Thirty-eight, I can talk in whatever way I want." Hermione flushed and huffed, crossing her arms. Yugi chuckled a bit.

"You're really that old?" Ginny asked. Yugi nodded.

"If I'm guessing correctly, Ryou was imprisoned at the same time that I was. So he would've been Twenty-four. He'd be about Forty now. He's rather nice and, as far as I know, straight. Be thankful that Bakura went to the afterlife with my Yami by the way. He was fairly insane, and rather abusive, probably worse than Voldemort."

"How is that possible?" Neville asked timidly. Ron shuddered from when Yugi said Voldemort's name.

"And don't say his name!" Yugi scoffed.

"Get over it Ron. Scum like him may not deserve names, but they certainly don't deserve the respect and awe of fearing the one they've been given. Or in this case, the one they made for themselves." Yugi lounged across his side of the carriage, looking at them sideways. "Anyway. Let me put it this way. Bakura locked the souls of Ryou's friends into wooden figurines as 'Rent' for Ryou letting him have control of his body. And Ryou never gave it to him willingly. And he stabbed Ryou's arm once when he was in control in order to help a psychopath gain the trust of me and my friends. Shall I go on?" When all the others did was stare at him wide-eyed, Yugi sighed. "That's what I thought." He sat up straight and patted the seat beside him. "Come on, you guys look crowded over there." Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville didn't make a move. Finally Luna got up from where she was and sat next to him. After much hesitation, Neville also came over. Yugi leaned against the back of the carriage and closed his eyes. Ron coughed nervously.

"Ryou isn't like the old spirit…is he?" Yugi had to laugh.

"No! No! Ryou wouldn't hurt a fly! You won't have to worry about him!" Ron sighed in relief.

"So what will you do when we get to Hogwarts?" Hermione said. It was clear that they were both nervous around him, but were trying to cope. Yugi shrugged.

"Harry wants to enjoy the feast first. Afterwards we're going to talk to Dumbledore and tell him what we've found out. Then we're going to go to bed. This is going to be a very busy year after all." Hermione relaxed. Sure Yugi was gay, but he was still the same person who they met. All of sudden Yugi's jaw dropped. Hermione frowned for a moment, before she heard what Yugi said next. "Oh…My! This is incredible!" He stuck his head out of the window. "This is where you spend your school year?!" Luna giggled. Hermione herself smiled. Hogwarts was pretty impressive when you first saw it. Neville let a small nervous smile creep onto his face. With a jolt, the carriage stopped. With a quick flash from the puzzle Harry was back in control.

"Come on. We don't want to be late." He said. Everyone nodded. Harry quickly tucked the puzzle under his robes and climbed out. When they got to the steps that led up the entrance into the Castle, they saw Malfoy waiting for them. Yugi was staring in awe. Malfoy strode right up to them, Crabbe and Goyle mysteriously missing. Ron was about to open his mouth, when Harry stopped him. Ron looked to him, only to see Amethyst eyes. Yugi was back in control. Malfoy walked up and glared at him with chocolate brown eyes.

_Brown? Malfoy has grey eyes._ Ron thought. At that moment Yugi smiled and shook his hand.

"I knew that was you Ryou." He said. Hermione looked at him in surprise.

"You're Ryou?" Ryou blinked and looked at them nervously.

"How much did you tell them Yugi?" Hermione blinked. Yugi was right. Ryou didn't have any accent like Yugi, who's words always had an distinct eastern flavor to them. It was rather disconcerting as it always looked like Harry was talking. Yugi chuckled.

"Everything." Ryou jumped and looked at him disbelievingly.

"Yugi don't do that! They can't be trusted!" Hermione was miffed and Ron looked like he was about to come up with a retort. He shuddered. Yugi shook his head.

"Don't be like that Ryou. They're fine. By the way, how have you been doing?" Ryou shuddered.

"Horrible! Darkness, death, pain, madness; It's like being back with my Yami; Death Eaters everywhere. Secret Missions, Plots and assassinations, I wish I was back in Japan." Yugi sighed, having to refrain from patting his shoulder.

"I know Ryou. But if we can complete our task, then we can go to the afterlife." Ryou smiled.

"You really think so?" Yugi smiled and nodded.

"Positive. As annoying as Shadi is, I do trust him." Ryou smiled and giggled.

"Thanks Yugi." He said. "Well, I better be going. Your host and mine aren't the best of friends and the entire school knows it. So we'll have to be careful. Ja ne!" He stalked into the crowd and disappeared. Ron stared after him.

"Was that really Malfoy?" Yugi laughed.

"Of course not! That was Ryou." He turned about and began climbing the stairs. "Come on. I don't want to miss this sorting hat. He sounds interesting." They all looked at each other. Luna shrugged and followed him, the others close behind.

"Oh! That was so good!" Yugi said. Harry grinned. When they had gotten to the Great Hall, Yugi had gaped at the ceiling. Harry had had a good chuckle before the body was given back to him. Harry paused a moment on the way to Dumbledore's office. He hadn't been with Yugi for more than two months, and already he regarded his body as an object, rather than something that was his. Yugi sensed his nervousness at this and sent a flow of reassurance through the mind link. Harry relaxed. Yugi wouldn't hurt him, he was too gentle for that. He paused again, before bursting out laughing. Gentle? Yugi was about as gentle as a thorny rose! Sure he had a wonderful personality, but that didn't mean he was gentle, oh not at all! He stopped at the gargoyle that stood in front of the Staircase that he realized he didn't have the password. A black shadow made him spin around. Professor Snape was standing behind him.

"Professor…"

"Fizzing Whizzbee." The Gargoyle moved to the side. Harry gaped at him. Snape glared down at him.

"Wha…."

"You requested to see the headmaster. Do not expect me to help next time." He walked off with a swirl of his robes. Yugi chuckled.

"Yes. His past really does haunt him." Harry just shook his head and climbed up to the door. He knocked twice and waited. The door slowly opened. Harry put one foot across the threshold.

"Hello? Professor Dumbledore?" He didn't seem to be anywhere. He shrugged and looked around. The room had healed from the last time he had been in here. All of the little instruments had been repaired and were back on their spindly tables. Yugi gasped. Harry turned to look at what had startled him. He was staring at Fawkes.

"My gods." He whispered. "Is this real?" He timidly reached out and stroked the feathers, hissing a bit at the heat. "He's so warm….Can it be?" He looked to Harry. "Is this a Bennu?" Harry blinked.

"What?"

"A Bennu. It's the Egyptian word for phoenix. They're the symbol of immortality." Fawkes cooed and nibbled his fingers. Yugi smiled. "Hello beautiful." He purred.

///Helllo./// Harry jumped, staring at the phoenix.

"Di-did he just…" Yugi smiled and stroked the phoenix.

"I believe he did." Fawkes as Yugi gently scratched the side of his face. "Did you say that pretty?"

///Yes./// Yugi smiled.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

///I am the companion of Dumbledore, Ra's Angel./// Now it was Yugi's turn to gape at the phoenix. The phoenix chuckled. ///Did you think that I couldn't tell?/// He asked. Yugi smirked.

"I'm a little surprised, but not very. I've learned that Magical Creatures usually know more than they let on." Harry was just staring and silently absorbing all of this with incredulity.

"Wait, wait, wait, Fawkes can talk?" Yugi turned to him with a sarcastic face.

"No! I learned ventriloquism!" Harry bristled. Fawkes chuckled.

///Don't get angry Chosen One Harry. He does not mean it./// Harry looked at him.

"Why haven't you spoken before this?" Fawkes tilted his head.

///I couldn't. I can't even do this with Dumbledore. He can feel my thoughts, but we can't communicate. The mind must be completely open in order for me to talk like this.///

"I see that Fawkes has opened up to you." Both Harry and Yugi jumped and looked up. Dumbledore was at the top of the balcony looking down at Harry, as he couldn't see Yugi. He came down the stairs and sat behind his desk. "Now, I believe you had something to say to me." Harry nodded, sitting in the chair in front of the desk. After a moment, Harry looked back up with Amethyst eyes and the ribbon was now silver. Dumbledore nodded to him. "Hello Yugi." Yugi nodded back. "What do you want to tell me?" Yugi leaned back in the chair.

"We found one of the other Millennium items." Dumbledore stared at him.

"How many are there?"

"Seven, including my puzzle." He nodded.

"Very well, which one did you find?" Yugi leaned forward onto the desk.

"The Millennium Ring. Malfoy has it." Dumbledore stared back at him.

"What does it do?" Yugi leaned back.

"It can find other Millennium Items. It also has the ability to seal souls into inatimate objects. Don't worry, Ryou wouldn't hurt a fly. Trust me. His yami scarred him by sealing his friends in wooden figurines. Be lucky we don't have to deal with him by the way. But if Malfoy figures out how to use the Ring…we're in trouble." Dumbledore sighed.

"I was afraid of this. What about the other items?" Yugi shrugged.

"I'm still not sure what the Millennium Puzzles power is. The Millennium Necklace can tell the future, The Millennium Rod can take complete control of someone's mind. According to Harry, it's exactly the Imperius Curse. The Millennium Key can enter one's mind, and the Millennium Eye can read minds. And finally, the Millennium Scales can weigh a person's heart and see if they are innocent or guilty." Dumbledore nodded.

"Are there any more spirits I should know about?" Yugi blinked.

"Not that I know of. I mean, I'm pretty sure Shadi's a spirit, but there aren't any more in the items if that's what you're wondering." Dumbledore sighed.

"Thank you for telling me Yugi. Now may I speak to Harry?" Yugi nodded. In an instant the ribbon changed to gold. Harry looked up.

"Yes Professor?" Dumbledore gained a twinkle in his eyes that he realized that had been dimmed while Yugi was in control. Harry frowned a bit. "Sir, do you like Yugi Mouto?" Dumbledore frowned.

"It is not a matter of like Harry, but a matter of trust. Spirit magic is complicated, dangerous, and very much unexplicable. Even if Yugi did not have his own power that we know nothing about, I would be wary. But as it is, we have no idea what this magic could be doing to you." Reluctantly Harry admitted that he had a point. "Now, I wanted to let you know that you are not continuing Occulmacy lessons with Snape." Harry refrained from shouting in pleasure. "Instead, you will be having private lessons with me." Harry stared at him.

"Private lessons?" He nodded. "Will Yugi be coming?" Dumbledore frowned for a moment. "Professor, he's here to help me. Plus, we're connected. Anything I know, he'll know." Dumbledore nodded.

"Very well, Yugi may accompany you." Harry nodded.

"What will you be teaching me?" Now Dumbledore looked amused, merry blue eyes twinkling.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. And now Harry, I believe it's time for bed." Harry nodded and got up. It was very clear that the conversation was over. Harry turned back for a moment, amethyst eyes gazing straight into crystal blue, piercing through his being. Dumbledore met the gaze evenly. Yugi sighed and closed his eyes.

"Very well, I will leave your mind alone. But know this, my job is to help and protect Harry-san, and while it may not be clear to him, it is clear to me. Most of your words are nothing but a mask, covering up your true intentions. I too, can read a person's face. There is pain and guilt there, much more than what your outward façade should have. If you do not trust me, I do not trust you." Dumbledore bowed his head.

"Very well, I accept." Yugi smiled.

"One does not need to carry the world on their shoulders. You are not Atlas, you are mortal." With that he left, handing control back to Harry outside the door. Harry stared forward for a moment, processing what Yugi had said, before shaking his head and heading to the Griffindor common room, throwing the invisibility cloak over himself for cover.

END CHAPTER.


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